Fictionista Wrkshp Dec 2009 Daily WitFit Prompts
by Rochelle Allison
Summary: December is a very busy month for most—stress and festivities can distract and even relax us from writing, so Fictionista Workshop has opened WitFit, a daily writing prompt series for all genres. from the FW website
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: All copyright, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

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_(from the website: December is a very busy month for most—stress and festivities can distract and even relax us from writing, so _**_Fictionista Workshop_**_ has opened WitFit, a daily writing prompt series for all genres.)_

_Basically we get a word prompt a day, and we then write about it. It's a great exercise to keep one's mind sharpened and focused on writing... This isn't beta-ed. It is what it is._

_Needless to say this has nothing to do with "Volition", so if this isn't your cup of tea, no worries. Each day's prompt will differ, so what I write will vary greatly as well. If something tickles your fancy, awesome! Review! If not, that's fine too. And no, this will in no way affect "Volition's" posting schedule. That always comes first..._

_This little scenario in particular is rated M due to teenage drug use, not anything sexual._

_xoxo_

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**_"Abracadabra"_**

The noise from the falls was near deafening as we made our way toward the campsite where we'd be spending the night. It was the first Friday night of summer; you would think that these woods would be packed with people eager to party it up campfire-style, but it wasn't.

Alice and Jasper walked a couple of paces ahead, their hands clasped and swinging between them. Every now and then Alice would glance over her shoulder at me, her mouth curved into a sweet, smug smirk. Edward brought up the rear, making his way effortlessly through the grass, completely inaccessible due to the stupid headphones stuck into his ears.

I winced as the strap from my ridiculously heavy, overloaded back pack shifted, the rough material cutting into the softer flesh of my shoulder.

This sucked.

Alice snuck another peek at me, and I stuck my tongue out at her this time, scowling. I loved the girl, really I did, but her sly smiles and knowing eyes were really starting to unsettle me, and I hadn't been too comfortable with camping out tonight to begin with. She was one of the only ones who knew I harbored a massive crush on Edward, something I'd kept secret for years. Well, Jasper knew too – but that was because Alice told him damn near everything.

There were supposed to be three other people here, all of whom had backed out for one reason or another, leaving me with Fork's most affectionate couple…and Edward. If he was uncomfortable by the arrangement, he didn't really show it. In fact, he didn't seem to notice me at all.

I stumbled over a root, cursing inwardly as my cheeks blazed. I knew he'd noticed _that_. Dammit.

"Here we go," Jasper announced, swinging his gear onto the ground. He rotated his shoulder s a couple times probably trying to work out the kinks, as he evaluated the little meadow we were in.

"Fire wood?" Edward said, dropping his bag. He'd put his iPod away now.

"Let's go," Jasper agreed, nodding toward the tree line a few feet away.

Alice and I busied ourselves with setting up sleeping bags and tents. "I brought marshmallows," she said, unloading a plastic bag full of snack food.

"Nice. And chocolate?" I asked, already drooling.

"Bella," she chided, dangling both graham crackers and chocolate bars in front of my face.

"I love you," I cooed, pulling the zipper on my hoodie up. Now that we'd stopped moving, I wasn't quite as warm as I'd been.

"Good, because I have plans for tonight," she responded cryptically, plopping onto her butt.

"What?" I asked suspiciously, wondering if this had anything to do with her little looks all night.

"I brought a surprise," she whispered, rooting around in her purse.

I leaned over, trying to see in the darkness. "What kind of-"

"Allie, where's the lighter?" Jasper called, his and Edward's boots crunching loudly through the forest as they returned.

"Right here," she called back, standing.

Within minutes we had a hearty fire going, its flames licking enthusiastically toward the sky. I sat as close as I could, craving its warmth, and was pleased when Edward settled not too far away, smiling lazily as he lay his head on a rolled sleeping bag.

"So, have you done this before?" he asked, his head lolling toward me.

"Camping?"

"No," he chuckled. "Tripping."

"Tripping?" I repeated, my earlier anxiety coming back tenfold. "You mean like, drugs?"

"Mushrooms," he clarified, obviously amused by my reaction.

"Oh, my - Alice!" I yelped, jumping to my feet. "Alice!"

"What?" she said, looking guilty as sin as she emerged from a tent with Jasper.

"Is tripping on mushrooms the big surprise?" I asked, only mildly hysterical.

Jasper slid his arm around my shoulder. "Relax, Bella. My uncle Peter gave them to me- they're fine. It's a nice mellow."

"Um, that's great, Jazz, but I'm not into that hippy dippy crap," I replied, making a face. We returned to the fire and sat down. Edward was once again fiddling with his iPod.

"Did you bring the speakers, man?" Jasper asked.

Edward nodded, pulling a pair of white ones from his bag. He set the iPod up in a dock, connected it to the speakers; soon quiet sounds were floating out. "I downloaded '_Dark Side of the Moon'_ earlier," he said.

"Goody," Alice sighed, rubbing her hands together. "Okay, without further adieu…"

She pulled a plastic baggie filled with what looked like dead flowers out of her purse. Working quickly – probably before I could change my mind – she divided the contents into four small piles and handed one to each of us.

My stomach roiled nervously.

"I _really_ don't know about this," I said, imagining my father's face if he ever saw me doing something like this.

"It's not that big a deal, Bella. You'll feel it for a couple of hours, tops, and then you'll float back down and go to sleep. I'll be right here," Edward said suddenly, scooting closer.

I looked at Alice, who was smirking again, this time at the fact that Edward was sitting on my blanket. She knew I'd do it now.

Tossing my hands up, I shook my head. "Okay, fine. What do I do, just eat them?"

Edward handed me a bottle of apple juice. "To wash it down. They taste kind of …earthy."

"They taste gross," Alice retorted, shoving a handful into her mouth and cringing.

"Oh, that's reassuring," I muttered, following suit. Nearly gagging, I drained the entire bottle of juice to chase the taste of the mushrooms.

"Start the music, dude," Jasper said, snuggling down into a mess of blankets with Alice.

Initially I felt nothing, except the urge to pee. That was annoying, so I snuck off to the bushes to take care of business. On the way back, my perceptions began changing, and I suddenly had the inane urge to laugh.

I sat down next to Edward, biting my lip to keep in the giggles. He turned to look at me, grinning. "Just let it out, Bella, I know you want to."

I could hear Alice giggling from across the fire, blending with the lower tones of Jasper as he responded.

Lying back on my blanket, I noticed I wasn't even that cold anymore.

Lights were brighter, and more vivid…but in a serene way. I felt a strange mixture of comfort, euphoria and happiness.

_Not so bad after all…_

Edward rolled over, pulling a heavy blanket over us. He pointed to the stars, which were suddenly so close they didn't look real. "Look," he whispered.

"I see," I whispered back reverently. "It's like…magic."

He held his lighter up, lighting it, and when he moved it, trails spun out behind it. I gasped, amazed.

"Abracadabra," he teased, passing the lighter back and forth in front of me, enjoying my wide eyed delight.

"Abracadabra," I echoed, my eyes glued to the tiny comet in front of me.

And when he kissed me, that was magic too.


	2. Chapter 2: Finger Food

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

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_again, this is un-beta'ed. it's just a little something i wrote for today's prompt, "Finger Food". enjoy._

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Edward loosened his tie, about as close as someone of his nature could be to death…from boredom.

Year after year, this was always the same. Edward, his father, and brothers would arrive. After the obligatory "hello, how are you, it's been so long" exchange with their hosts, Aro, Marcus and Caius, they would roam about the festivities - several floors of lavish delights designed to satisfy cravings of _any_ kind. The hours would drag by as they mingled with the other guests, were ogled by females both vampire and human, and basically counted the minutes before Carlisle decided they'd once again shown their faces and done their duty for another year.

Carlisle was satisfied with the mate he had, so he spent his time engaging in discussion with friends ancient and new. Edward, Emmett and Jasper however, were bound by no such commitment. As dull and repetitive as these annual gatherings were, they were far from picky when it came to entertainment. Girls were always more than willing to meet their needs; it was just unfortunate the human ones didn't realize such dalliances could end in death as easily as they could in orgasm.

_Le petit mort_, indeed.

"Find something…someone to do," Emmett said, eyeing a leggy blonde wrapped in red silk. Her impeccable beauty suggested she was one of them, verified when she met Emmett's gaze with a scarlet one of her own.

Edward yawned, leaning against the wall. He was able to hear thoughts, but he didn't need to be a mind reader to perceive the blatant lust saturating the place. It was all so… predictable. It wouldn't be so bad if this was just one thing he had to endure during the year, but the fact of the matter was… he was bored in general, as a state of being. Nothing inspired him… he'd been alive so long, too long, and understood better than anyone that there truly was nothing new under the sun.

Girls, girls, girls everywhere…hundreds of hearts beating, each one unique in pace and the flavor of blood it pumped. All of them appealing of course, but none so much so that he felt any urge to move from his spot by the window. He smiled to himself, catching sight of Jasper outside, walking on the grounds below with a cute little raven haired thing. Jasper glanced up to the window, winking at Edward before he and his catch walked out of view.

Perhaps a change of scenery _would_ be wise. Edward pushed off the wall, sliding his hands loosely into his pockets, judiciously ignoring the sultry looks thrown his way. The Volturi spun this event as a classy mixer of sorts, but really, it was more like an expensive orgy.

The second his Italian leather shoes hit the top floor, he halted, nearly bowled over by a most exquisite scent. He quickly walked into the room and scoured the faces there, zeroing in on a brunette standing next to a table full of food. She was alone, holding a tiny plate and appraising the impressive selection before her.

Edward was at her side immediately, in agony because he wanted her _so _much, inhaling her ambrosial blood-scent, indulging himself.

"Hungry?" he asked, unable to look away from the smooth porcelain of her neck, the teasing crease between her breasts.

She looked up, obviously having been stirred from deep thought. "Um, I guess so. This is a little overwhelming," she said, motioning toward the food.

"I know just what you mean," he said smoothly, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. He was surprised by her brown eyes; they were quite pretty.

Long eyelashes… flawless skin… lips he wanted to kiss and then pierce, maybe drink from her that way. He couldn't understand the attraction – she was by no means remarkable.

She was almost even ordinary, and yet Edward was inexplicably intoxicated, aroused in several ways.

She cleared her throat and he realized he'd been staring, looking at her like she was something to eat (which, of course, she was).

"Edward," he said simply, a little arrogantly. He reached out and took her hand, shaking it softly.

"Bella," she said, her cheeks reddening like twin apples.

Edward felt himself grow hard.

"Do any of these hors d'oeuvres appeal to you, or is there something else you'd like?" he asked, smirking.

She laughed quietly. "Hors d'oeuvre is just a pompous term for finger food."

He nodded, echoing her laugh. "Perhaps."

Her heartbeat picked up, and he knew he had her; her excitement was apparent by the dilation of her pupils, the flutter in her pulse. Her little fingers looked like hors d'oeuvres themselves, her polished red nails tiny incarnadine jewels.

He watched as she speared several pieces of fruit on a wooden stick and then proceeded to walk away from him, mesmerizing him further with the movement of her hips, painted in black satin. She looked back just once, and he realized she was baiting him, so he pursued her.

She might not like the ending to this little fantasy she was acting out, but there was little he could do about that.

He followed her scent into an empty room at the end of an equally empty hallway, shutting the door silently behind him.

Bella stood in front of a window, nibbling fruit.

Edward wasted no time. He slid his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor, and closed the space between them, amused when she stepped coyly back. He pushed her gently against the wall, closing his eyes as he ran his nose along her neck, gorging himself on her smell.

He felt her set her little plate down, and then she curved her hands around his neck, up into his hair. He shuddered at her warmth, wondering if he would be able to hold his thirst back long enough to take her properly, giving them both the release they so painfully needed.

"Edward," she breathed shakily.

"Hmm?" he licked the tops of her breasts, thrilling at her shivers.

She tickled her fingers along his scalp, lowering her lips to his ears. "I know what you are."


	3. Chapter 3

**Penname: Rochelle Allison**  
**Derivative Fiction**:  
**Rated M – just in case**  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Word Prompt**: Use the following words: audacious, football, white, testament**

Indian summer.

Stretched out on well worn, threadbare blankets, cushioned between lushgreen grass and white cottonball clouds.

We've been by the lake for hours; the days are long now, sunlight seeping into late afternoon, so we can do this… linger, lackadaisical.

The touch football game that has been stopping and starting all day is picking up again, a welcome sight for sure: handsome, healthy boys, skin slick with sweat, strutting and showing off as they run and tackle. Their skin has been darkened by the sun, their lean, muscled bodies testaments to this summer lifestyle: surfing, swimming, basketball, football…and probably copious amounts of copulation.

Boys.

I roll onto my stomach, intent on watching, laughing a little when I notice Alice, Rose, Jess and Angela in varying degrees of the same position.

Girls.

Rose catches my smirk and shoots me one of her own, rolling her eyes and nodding her head toward the herd running up and down the grass. They are performing for us now, impressing us with their rugged skill and athletic prowess. We never see them acknowledge our attention, but, we know they know.

But after awhile Jess starts talking about this book that we're all reading and soon we're distracted, focused on each other instead of the boys, and on cue a football lands in the middle of our blanket, the arc of its flight missing my faces my inches.

Scowling, I look up; ready to murder the careless morons who committed this crime.

Edward Cullen trots over, his face fairly glowing in amusement as he looks at me.

"Sorry," he says. "Guess you girls are a little too close."

I gape, not believing the audacious remark. Then again, it _is _Edward.

"Seriously. We're like, two hundred feet away," I retort, hurling the ball violently back at him, pleased when it hits his stomach as he catches it.

He smirks, nodding toward me. "Nice. Sure you don't wanna play?"

Shrugging, I peek at the girls, but they're re-absorbed in their conversation. "I play. Just not football."

He raises an eyebrow.

_Intrigued._

"You'll have to teach me sometime," he says, tosses the ball from hand to hand.

"Cullen!" The rest of the herd is impatient now, so he spins around and jogs back and I go back to pretending not to notice.

Flipping on to my back, I clasp my hands over my tummy and stare up at the trees, letting the play of dappled sunlight dazzle me.

"Did he even apologize?" Alice's voice floats over.

"Technically."

"Well, what did he say?"

"We wanted to know if you girls wanted to play," Edward asks from too-close and I jump, startled at his proximity.

Rose is the first to her feet. "Why not?"

Edward extends a hand and my heart sort of flips so I accept.

"I'll teach you today, you teach me…tonight."


	4. Chapter 4: Oceanic

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction:  
Rating/Warning(s): T (ish)

_Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

Prompt: Oceanic

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"Don't open them."

"I'm not… ouch…" my knee collided with something sharp and I stopped to bend down, rubbing the surely bruised skin. "If you want me to keep my eyes shut, you have to make sure I don't run into stuff."

Edward chuckled. "Sorry."

I felt him take my elbow and lead me further down the carpeted hallway. We paused, and then I heard him open the door to what was presumably his bedroom. I'd spent enough time in his house over the years, and I knew it as well as my own.

"Okay, here it is," he said, pulling me forward until something soft and solid hit my legs.

_His bed? Um…_

Before I could say anything, he gave me a soft shove, making me fall face-first onto his bed. I could hear him laughing hysterically behind me as I floundered.

"You're such an ass!" I snapped, ripping my hands away from my eyes. It was then I realized what his surprise was: he'd gotten a new bed.

A water bed.

He watched as the realization crossed my face. "Nice, huh?"

"Yeah, if you're into cheesy seduction scenes from the 80's," I teased, rolling on to my back.

Edward folded his arms, smirking arrogantly down at me. "Girls will love this. You know_ you_ do."

"It doesn't matter what I think," I said, rocking back and forth. I had to admit, it was pretty comfortable.

"Anyway, I don't need props to be successful. I could do 'em on the floor and they'd love it," he continued, grinning, enjoying my grimace of disgust. "This'll just enhance the ride."

"Right," I agreed sarcastically, wondering when he'd gotten so full of himself.

He flopped down on to the waterbed, making a wave slosh from one side to the other, jostling me in the process.

"Watch it now," I warned playfully as the ripples rolled us closer together. "You don't want the magical oceanic motions to arouse me."

"Wouldn't want that," he muttered, lying back and folding his hands behind his head.

We lay that way for a while, talking and joking around, every once in a while purposely rocking the boat – so to speak.

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I woke up with a start.

"Shoot," I mumbled to myself, squinting in the dusky light. The daylight that had been streaming brightly through the blinds earlier had dimmed considerably; it wasn't night yet but would be soon.

Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes. Edward was fast asleep beside me, one arm thrown over his face. His shirt had ridden up, and I could just barely make out his belly button. His stomach was nice… ridiculously toned. I rolled my eyes, looking away. He'd always been into sports and over the past year had become obsessed with working out, too.

Carefully, I climbed off the bed and made my way to the bathroom attached to his bedroom. Minutes later, I felt my way back to the bed and sat - gently - down.

The stupid water bed overreacted, sending a huge ripple over to Edward's side, causing his body to undulate.

_Oh._

Okay, so… that wasn't too cool; I'd actually just gotten a little turned on. I shook my head, ridding myself of such thoughts, and reached over to wake up the boy I had known since sixth grade, the boy who, despite having grown into a fairly sexy man – mm, okay, really sexy, was still my_ friend._ And just a friend.

I had a thing for Jacob Black, and that's who I was supposed to meet up with later.

"What?" Edward yawned, once I'd succeeded in rousing him.

"It's late, I gotta go," I whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" he asked, in a normal voice.

"Oh. I don't know," I said, shrugging.

"What time is it?" he dug his phone of his pocket to check. "Almost seven. I'll walk you out."

"Whatever," I said, scooting toward the foot of the bed to better my chances of getting out successfully. This thing might be comfortable and maybe even sexy to some girls, but I found it impractical.

And a little cheesy.

"Bella?" his voice sounded amused…and higher than usual.

"What?" I paused, looking back over my shoulder.

"Are you," he inched forward and before I could stop him, very inappropriately snapped the back of my underwear, "wearing a thong?"

"Oh, I know you didn't just – " I huffed and tried to scramble away but he yanked me back by the belt loops of my jeans.

"Damn," he said, smiling. "Now I'm horny."

"Well, there's the bathroom," I pointed toward the little room.

"Shut up," he said, pushing me onto my back and coming closer. "I think I should experiment on you… you know, test out the seductive qualities of the waterbed."

My heart started pounding, even though I knew he was teasing. I didn't like how abruptly I'd fallen prey to his charms. Ugh. What was going on with me?

His eyes softened. "Hey, I was just kidding…" but he didn't move.

"I know," I said, my voice all shaky.

We looked at each other and it became one of those really awkward moments where you either kiss or don't, like a point of no return.

Ah, screw it. I hooked my hands around his neck and pulled him down, kissing him before I lost the nerve… or got my sanity back.

"Mmm," he hummed, maneuvering his body as we kissed. The bed rock and rolled sordidly beneath us, and I giggled, breaking the kiss.

Edward was all smiles. "I knew this bed was a good idea."

Any giddiness I was experiencing dissipated and I realized I wasn't sure if he had in fact been experimenting on me or if he'd wanted to make out with me. I had, after all, initiated the kiss.

"I have to go," I said quietly, pushing softly on his chest I sat up. "I'm supposed to meet Jacob at the beach."

"Jacob Black?" he asked, scowling.

I paused, running my hands through my hair in an attempt to tame it. "Yeah, so?"

"So you kiss me and then you run off to someone else?"

My eyes had fully adjusted to the light by this point and I could see his face. He looked annoyed, obviously, but also a little…hurt?

"I thought you were experimenting," I said sheepishly, forcing myself to maintain eye contact.

"I wasn't."

"I didn't know you wanted to kiss me."

He shrugged. "I didn't."

"Okay…" I made it off the water bed and stood up, pulling the hem of my shirt down. "So then what the hell was that?"

"You kissed me first," he pointed out.

"Edward-"

"Bella."

"What?"

"Let's kiss some more."

I tried not to smile, but it didn't work. "Why?"

He stood close, making me feel fluttery. "Because it feels good. Especially on my new bed."

"Ugh, you and this bed," I groaned.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"…maybe."

"Definitely."


	5. Chapter 5

**Penname: Rochelle Allison**

**Derivative Fiction**

**Rating: M (for themes)**

_**Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.**_

**Prompt: alabaster**

I'd been buzzing with anticipation the whole day, anxious to share my amazing news with Edward.

He was my best friend, my lover, and as of one month before, my fiancé. I really didn't think it got any better than this… my whole life was on track, going accordingly. Like any couple, we had our ups and downs, but they never drove a wedge between us. If anything, they made us stronger, closer, better together.

I thanked God and my lucky stars we had each other.

After college we'd moved back home so Edward could join his father and brothers at the family architecture firm. Because it was a small town – and our hometown at that – I too found a job I adored right away, teaching at a private preschool. We worked long, hard hours during the daytime, each doing things we enjoyed, and came together each night, tired but happy. I liked to cook, and sometimes one of the many couples we'd grown close to joined us for dinner. Those evenings were fun, full of good wine and great conversation.

But sometimes it was just us, and those were my favorite nights, when our dinners were quiet and intimate, and all about Edward-and-I, talking about our day and our plans for the future.

Friends of ours in real estate had been keeping their eyes open for something to become available in the area, something that would fit us, financially and aesthetically. When Rosalie had called me on my lunch break to tell me about the beautiful two story home on the edge of town that had recently gone on the market, I could hardly believe our luck. It was the very house Edward and I had driven past, many times, wondering what it would be like to live and love in a place like that.

I met with Rosalie that very day, going straight to her office after work. We drove over to the house so she could give me a quick, preliminary tour and toss around a few numbers. I knew Edward would be thrilled, and I was literally trembling with excitement as I parted with Rose.

This was, as the corny old adage said, the first day of the rest of our lives.

On a whim, I stopped off at the hardware store and browsed the paint aisles, fantasizing about making our new home our own. I knew Edward would have to see it too, obviously, and there was a world of paperwork and financial mumbo-jumbo to deal with, but for now, I just wanted to dream.

The selection of colors and shades was vast and overwhelming, and I found myself snorting in amusement more than once at some of the names. For heaven's sake, whatever happened to just _white_? In my hands I held a "color wheel" boasting cotton white, oyster white, summer white and about ten other "whites". That segued into more ambiguous names like pearl, cloud cover, eggshell, ivory…

My head swirled, but in the best of ways, and I left the store with the color wheel in my purse, wondering if Edward would even care what color the walls were so long as we had the house of our dreams.

Tuesdays he worked a little later; he joined Emmett and Jasper in Carlisle's office and they brainstormed, going over figures, discussing any issues or challenges that had come up during the past week. I didn't want to wait until Edward got home, and anyway I knew news like this would be well worth the minor interruption.

Swinging into the almost empty parking lot, I grabbed my purse off the front seat and walked as quickly as I could, in heels, to the front door. It was locked, but Jessica, the receptionist, beamed when she saw me through the glass, immediately jumping up out of her seat.

"Hey, Bella," she said sweetly, re-locking the door once she'd let me in. "Whatcha up to? I think they finished up already, you know."

"Hey, Jess. I just…had to talk to Edward real quick," I said breathlessly.

"Of course! Go on back. Good to see you," she grinned, returning to her desk.

Walking down the tastefully decorated hallway, I fingered the color wheel in my purse for a moment before pulling it out and opening it fully so the different cards fanned out.

Edward's office was at the end of the hall and I didn't hesitate to go right in.

But then I stopped, because my husband's face was not the sight that met me.

Long, blonde ringlets.

A really nice ass, from what I could see of it… she was, after all, sitting on his desk and her skirt was bunched up around her hips.

She tilted her head back, gasping as he …did whatever he was doing…and then his eyes found mine.

He froze, already starting to push her away, and she looked over her shoulder, looking horrified and several shades of pink when she saw me standing in the doorway.

A deafening roar filled my ears and I wavered, feeling my legs become boneless.

I watched as Edward's mouth formed my name, as his face blanched, losing all color, turning a sickly shade of…

…I looked to my color wheel for support…

alabaster.

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_that one was hard to write, not going to lie. the thought of edward cheating on bella turns my stomach. :(_


	6. Chapter 6: Lucky Break

**Lucky Break**

**Creative Original  
Rating/Warning(s): "T"**

**_Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._**

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*this was actually day one's prompt, but the version i wrote was 'original' fiction. so, to make fic, i substituted our favorite character's names in and voila! this one's short, and light hearted... i know some of you are still hurting over yesterday's prompt. :( sorry! oh, and i will be posting again today. this one was already written so, i thought i'd add it. xoxo

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Alice yawned, blearily pulling her boots on.

Five p.m and she was _still_ exhausted; this was the pits. It wasn't even like she was the lead in the play. If that were the case, well, maybe then she'd be able to conjure up a bit of excitement, at least enough to get her to rehearsal without a triple shot of espresso... or two.

Last night's rehearsals had run late, which had made morning classes and an afternoon shift at the coffee shop hell. Now she was going back for more. Maybe her mother was right – maybe she was "burning the candle at both ends" and crazy for doing so. There was only so long she could keep this up.

The thing was, Alice loved acting. As far back as junior high and high school, she'd thrived in theatre, winning both singing and speaking roles, often leads, in many of the school plays. Now, as a freshman in college, she was finding that there were many actors and actresses just as good as she was, some better. It stretched her to do her best, but it also frustrated her.

When she'd tried out for the part of Blanche DuBois in the fall production of _A Streetcar Named Desire_, she'd been beyond confident that she'd nailed the audition. So confident, in fact, that she conveniently forgot that freshmen never got the principle roles.

She'd been good though, and had received the distinguished honor of being Rosalie Hale's understudy. Rosalie was stunning, talented and a junior, and she'd won the part of Blanche. But while she _was_ good, Alice still felt she'd been better.

Ah, well. There was always the spring musical.

Alice wrapped her favorite scarf loosely around her neck, grabbed her bag off of the floor, and headed out. By bicycle, she lived only minutes away from the campus theatre. Her trusty purple mountain bike stood propped against the wall by the front door, and she popped the kick stand back before rolling it outside.

She took a deep, cleansing breath, allowing the brisk, cool air to clear her head. Autumn was by far her favorite time of year; she loved nothing more than the crisp atmosphere, the explosion of orange and red, the scent of fire wood burning. She settled into a vigorous yet comfortable pace, pedaling past pedestrians and cars both as five o'clock traffic slowed things down on the street.

At the theatre, the usual frenetic energy of creativity and art, as well as the warmth of belonging, soon shook any remnants from Alice's previous self-pity away. She was here to give, to do a job, to be a part of something, right? That's what it was all about.

"Alice, hey!" Bella called, motioning for Alice to sit beside her. She handed her a steaming cup.

"I figured you might need this, especially after last night. I know you're running on empty right now!" Bella exclaimed.

"I so am, thank you," Alice moaned, inhaling deeply before sipping. "Mmm, caramel. This is perfect."

"No problem," her friend shrugged. "So let's run lines a bit."

They'd only been reading for a couple of minutes when the director, Mr. Banner, walked out onto the stage.

"Excuse me, people," he called, clapping his hands loudly to get the group's attention. The hum and rumble of many voices quieted immediately as everyone looked at him expectantly.

"So, I just received word that Rosalie has contracted a very nasty, very severe case of strep throat. She's going to be out of commission for quite some time. "

A flurry of murmurs rippled around the room before Mr. Banner cleared his throat, looking directly at Alice. Her heart began pounding.

_Did this mean…?_

"Alice Brandon. You will be taking on the role of Blanche DuBois. I do hope you're sufficiently prepared," he announced, peering at her over his glasses.

Everyone turned around to stare, some smiling and others, not surprisingly, glaring.

"Yes, of course Mr. Banner. Thank you," Alice nodded.

"Good. Five minutes, everyone."

Bella turned to Alice, her eyes shining in wonder. "Oh, my gosh. Poor Rosalie, but damn…this is it, girl. Talk about a lucky break."

It really was. Alice grinned, feeling like she was floating.


	7. Chapter 7: Celestial

Penname: Rochelle Allison

**Derivative Fiction**

Rating: T

**  
**_Disclaimer__: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt: Celestial**

* * *

Isabella Swan was several sorts of sick.

She was seasick, having been onboard the overcrowded ship for a little over two months.

She was homesick, missing her hometown of Dublin – its familiar faces, sights and smells, her family's tiny home on the edge of town.

Lastly, she was terribly, terribly heartsick. It had now been sixty five days since last she'd held Peter in her arms. Sixty five days since he'd kissed her mouth, and held her hand, and whispered that he loved her and would find her again.

Isabella's life had gone from safe and secure to unpredictable and meager in a matter of days. Her father had finally succumbed to the sickness that had been rattling his lungs for months, leaving Isabella and her mother alone and in debt.

After mass one Sunday, not too long after, Renee Swan had fallen into a conversation with an old friend who had family living in America. They told her that even penniless, she and her daughter could get to the American colonies, so long as they agreed to work as indentured servants upon arrival. They explained that if Renee and Isabella could weather the long, difficult journey across the Atlantic, and survive the labor that awaited them wherever they ended up, then they had a chance at a fresh start.

Leaving home was the last thing Isabella wanted to do, and she'd cried for days upon learning of her mother's decision. Still, times were rough – nearly unbearable – and she knew in her heart that if they were to make it, they had to take the risk. As for Peter, Isabella did love him, she always had, but he was in no position to offer her marriage or to support her; they were only sixteen.

And even if he had the resources, there was no way she'd have let her mother make the perilous trip overseas alone.

So here she was, just barely inured to the nauseating sensation of constant movement…up and down, back and forth. It had taken her weeks just to regain her sense of balance, but she still suffered from the urge to vomit at least once a day. If her mother's appearance was any indication of her own, she was emaciated and malnourished. There was scarcely enough food to feed everyone.

The captain and crew weren't extremely cruel, and Isabella supposed she could be thankful for that, but they weren't compassionate, either. To them, the people they were transporting were merely commodities, items to be auctioned and sold as soon as the boat hit the shore. Isabella and her co-travelers were fed just enough so that they didn't perish, but even so, some people did die.

Some folks were too old, some were too young. Some simply hadn't the constitution for such hard daily living. Then there were those whose ailments were emotional rather than physical; more than once the ocean had greedily swallowed a tired soul that had given up and tossed himself off the side of the ship.

The murmur around the boat was that they were due to make landfall soon. Isabella stood beside her mother on one side of the ship, gazing stoically out at the never-ending black blue shine of the sea at night. They had taken to coming here at night, where they air was fresh and balmy, free of the scent of sickness, body odor and rotting food. Renee was chatting with some of the women they'd befriended over the past few months, but as usual, Isabella remained silent.

She walked to the railing and grasped the slick, cool metal as she turned her face to the sky. This was by far the best part of every day, the nocturnal ritual she had come to look forward to. In later years, when her life was once again normal and staid, she would remember the absolute freedom and peace she felt, floating between water and sky.

She had never been as close to the stars as she was on this ship, and she knew it was God's way of communicating with her, reassuring her of His goodwill. The breeze was a gentle hand across her cheek, the celestial splendor a love letter from Creator to Created.

As anxious as she was to get off of this sour vessel, Isabella was apprehensive of her fate once she was on land. Which colony would they live in? More importantly, would she be separated from her mother?

Thoughts like this robbed her of her peace, and she shut her eyes with a grimace, squeezing out only a few tears before the wind dried her cheeks.

She'd heard from others on the boat, those that had family and loved ones already lived in the colonies, that sometimes indentured servants were abused and mishandled, treated just like slaves. Isabella was terrified she would end up with an immoral master, someone that might hit her or worse, use her for their own perverse desires.

She didn't think she could survive that.

An especially bright star twinkled vividly just then, and Isabella sighed, calming instantly. She looked at this star every evening while she made her supplications, and she imagined it was winking just for her, reminding her to keep her faith.

***

Isabella clung to her mother's hand as the occupants of the ship clamored to get off. They'd awoken that morning to shouts and yells, announcing their arrival.

They'd made it: they were in America.

"No matter what they tell you, stick close to me side, love," Renee muttered, squeezing Isabella's hand. They joined the queue exiting the boat, jostled roughly as men and women like rushed past them. The crew became irate and controlling, adamant about keeping everyone together so that they could be sold as quickly as possible.

Isabella cried out as a large man that she recognized as one of the ship's crewmen wrenched her away from Renee, forcing her to stand a few feet away with the youngsters. She saw her mother's eyes grow glassy as she watched helplessly.

"I love you," she mouthed.

Isabella nodded, wiping her filthy face with her equally filthy hands. "I love you, too," she mouthed back. She wobbled slightly, not used to being on a stationary surface after so many days at sea.

Before long, the auction was underway. Isabella cringed at the jeering crowd, mostly male with a few women thrown in for good measure. There were even a few children, and they too seemed to regard her with disdain. She knew she was dirty and pale and skinny, but she was a human being. She came from a good, hard working family in Ireland. What right had they to look down on her this way? They likely had ancestors who had looked just like her when they'd set foot in this strange place.

She glanced over to her mother, and felt her stomach clench painfully when she didn't see her.

_Was she taken from me so quickly?_

Isabella looked around wildly, growing more and more panicked by the second. This was like losing her Mum at the market when she was small, only a thousand times worse. Just when she was about to lose hope, a kind voice shook her from her hysteria.

"Miss?"

Isabella wiped her tears and focused on the young man in front of her. His handsome face and green eyes were stunning, but she was so frightened that it was difficult to appreciate his looks.

"Miss?" he said again, frowning, twisting his hat in his hands.

"Y-yes?" Isabella whimpered, mortified. She couldn't have felt worse about …well, everything.

"Are you…Isabella?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I am," she responded, beginning to calm.

He nodded brusquely. "All right. My father is bringing your mother along to work in the house, but she threw a fit, saying she couldn't leave you. You're lucky my father's a Christian man; anyone else would've left you behind."

Isabella could only nod, overwhelming relief flooding her in heady waves.

"Well, come on," the young man said, motioning for her to follow him. Isabella picked up her bag and stumbled after him, suddenly very conscious of that fact she hadn't bathed in months.

His name was Edward Cullen, and his parents owned a palatial house in the center of town. Within moments of their arrival, house servants scurried to get Renee and Isabella cleaned up, none too thrilled with their tattered clothing and dirty, smelly skin.

Still though, all of that paled in comparison to the gratitude Isabella felt for being able to stay with her mother. They had clean clothing, a warm bed to share, and apparently a fair family to work for. Renee had been sold as a seamstress, so she would be hard at work, sewing, mending and making clothes for the family and all of its employees. Isabella's skill set was less established, so she would be in the kitchen until further notice.

After combing her long hair and pinning it neatly back, Isabella waited until her mother was asleep and then snuck outside. She wanted to see if, perhaps, the same star that had comforted her over the seas would comfort her here on land. She longed to see it, her twinkling companion, and then say her prayers before bed.

She flattened herself against the wall, unsure if being outside at night was against some sort of house rule, and edged her way to the garden behind the house. There, she found a crumbly little bench, and she sat upon it, delighted at her unobstructed view of the heavens.

Her star danced and shone brightly, congratulating her silently on her good fortune. Isabella shut her eyes and began to pray, making sure not to make a sound as her mouth moved.

"Isabella?"

She jumped in terror, her heart slamming in her chest as her eyes popped open. Edward stood beside the bench, his eyebrows raised in apparent amusement.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was just…" she trailed off, rising to her feet.

"Are you… star gazing?" he asked, sitting on the bench and waving for her to, as well.

"Yes," she answered sheepishly, sitting and wringing her hands in her lap. "And praying."

"Ah," he said, eyeing her for a moment. "I like to star gaze too, but I usually do so from my bedroom."

"Oh," Isabella replied dumbly, her face burning at the mention of his bedroom.

"Do you know anything about the stars?" he asked.

She shook her head slowly, entranced at how beautiful this boy's face was in the moonlight. A dagger of guilt pierced her, chastising her for admiring another when Peter was alone back home.

But then Edward pointed at the sky. "Do you see that one there? The really bright one?"

Isabella's breath caught in her throat. She followed his finger to the spot on the sky, but she already knew which star he was talking about.

"That's the north star. People have used it for centuries to help them find their way."

"I think," Isabella breathed, overcome. "I think I knew that."


	8. Chapter 8: Elevators & Laughter Is

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T

**Notes: This continues the scenario established by the earlier prompt "alabaster". There will be several related to this storyline, told from different perspectives, until a resolution is met.**

**Disclaimer:** _All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

* * *

Jessica Stanley had always harbored a teensy-weensy crush on her boss, Edward Cullen.

He was handsome, charming, friendly and successful. What was there _not_ to like?

However, Jessica kept this attraction carefully hidden in the cobwebs of her heart for one reason: she had respect.

She respected her boss, and his brothers and father, who she worked for as well.

She respected her boyfriend-of-three-years Mike, who she loved and seriously adored.

And she respected herself, and that meant she would never, ever pursue a taken man. Edward had been with Bella for as long as Jessica could remember and honestly, she respected her, too. Bella was way too sweet, and she and Edward made a great pair.

Which is why Jessica was so shocked when Bella came rushing back out into the lobby, tears streaming down her face. Jessica jumped to her feet, alarmed when Bella began fumbling with the lock, obviously trying to escape.

But escape _what?_

"Honey, what's wrong?" Jessica asked, rushing over to the door and turning the lock.

"I- I can't-" Bella stammered through her tears, stumbling out the door the millisecond it was opened.

Jessica watched nervously as the poor girl tripped across the parking lot and into her car. She wasn't sure Bella should even be driving in such a state.

Within seconds Edward raced down the hall, stopping when he saw Jessica silhouetted in the open door, watching _his _fiancé drive off like a bat out of hell.

"What happened?" Jessica asked carefully, her eyes darting between her boss and the hallway he had just emerged from.

Edward ran his hand through his hair, his face ashen.

Just then Jessica noticed the door to his office open, and out came Mrs. Denali, the wife of their firm's most recent client. Jessica gaped at her, watching incredulously as the statuesque blonde fixed her skirt, and her hair, and proceeded to walk down the hall, past both her and Edward, and out to the parking lot, where she got into her Jaguar and left.

"You're frigging kidding me," Jessica muttered, not bothering to hide her disgust.

Edward glared at her and strode back to his office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Jessica shook her head, returning to her desk to pack up for the day. For the first time in years, she didn't find Edward Cullen sexy or charismatic.

She found him really, really frigging stupid.

***

Surprisingly, Mike's car was already in the driveway when she got home. They didn't live together, but they'd had keys to each other's homes for years now. They spent most of their non-work time together anyway, so it didn't make much of a difference.

Jessica was still a little weirded out by what she'd witnessed at work. She'd always admired Edward and Bella's relationship, their inherent joy at being together. If someone like him could cheat on someone like her, what hope was there for everyone else?

"Hey babe," Mike said from the kitchen as Jessica walked through the door.

"Hey," she replied, a little lackluster.

"You okay?" he asked, poking his head out.

She shrugged, dropping her purse and joining him in the kitchen. "Weird day at work. What are you doing home already?"

"Got off early, and picked us up a few treats," he grinned, holding up a bottle of her favorite Pinot Noir.

"Ooh, perfect! I need a mood elevator," she kissed him sweetly and turned to rummage for the corkscrew.

"I got take-out and rented a couple of movies, too. Figured we could take it easy tonight," Mike continued, gesturing to the Chinese food containers grouped on the counter.

Jessica paused, setting the bottle of wine back on the counter. She wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and gave him a slower kiss this time. "You're awesome."

He flushed with pleasure. "I know."

She giggled, releasing him and going back to her task. "Is there a reason you did all this?"

"Not really. I just wanted to chill out tonight, not have you dealing with dinner and all that. We haven't done this in a while, you know?"

Jessica did know. Between their jobs, they usually had very little time to do much else besides eat and fall asleep together.

They settled down in front of the TV with their food and glasses of wine.

"Okay, I got a comedy and a political thriller. Which one do you want to watch?" Mike asked, holding the comedy up and shaking it.

"Definitely the comedy. I need to laugh," Jessica said wryly.

"Let's get you out of this funk," he agreed, popping the disc in. "Everybody knows laughter is the best medicine."


	9. Chapter 9: Orange

As I'd sped out of Cullen & Associates, my original plan was to go straight home, pack an overnight bag, and leave. I knew I'd have to actually speak to Edward, but tonight was not the night to do it. I had my finger on my cell phone's speed dial to call Rose when I hit the main road.

Banking a corner, I gasped at the splendor before me: between gaps in the towering trees I could see the sun setting, and it was truly magnificent. Like a bruised peach, the sky had deepened to a ruddy orange, tinged with pink.

Dropping the phone into my lap, I eased my foot off the gas so that I wasn't breaking the speed limit as severely as I'd been doing. Oddly, the sky was starting to calm me, and instead of going home, I just drove.

Forks flew by and I found myself going in the direction of La Push beach. That would be a good place for me to settle my thoughts, reevaluate what I wanted to do - for the evening… for the rest of my life.

Once I'd parked, I kicked off my heels and slid into a pair of worn flip flops I kept in the trunk, along with an old blanket. I cringed, smelling Edward as I wrapped myself in the blanket. He and I had spent many nights on it, under the stars, talking, laughing, loving, and dreaming.

The tears started up again, streaming freely down my face, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. There was no one here to see me as I made my way across the grey and brown pebbles on the shore.

I don't know how long I sat, reminiscing, weeping, and wondering.

What had I done to deserve this? How long had he been unfaithful to me? Why had he asked me to marry him if he was capable of something like this? Surely a person would know if the thought of marriage frightened them, right? If they had misgivings about their ability to be true to one person forever?

It was all too much, and my head ached despite the crisp, cleansing wind that blew constantly over me, ruffling my hair and cooling my face. The worst part, perhaps, was that I loved him so deeply that the thought of leaving him literally cut me in two. He _was_ my other half. How was I going to do this? I couldn't be without Edward, but I also couldn't be with this new version of him, either.

Cloudless, the horizon lay before me, untouched and crystal clear. I watched as the sun approached the water, its previously pink halo having given way to a bloody red. Long after it had extinguished itself, its colors flared across the heavens, now dotted with the pinpricks of stars as well.

I couldn't stay any longer; the temperature had dropped considerably and my teeth were chattering nonstop. I would go home now, although "home" was no longer what it felt like, and if I saw him, we'd talk. And if I didn't, I'd grab my things and spend the night with Rose and Emmett.

My car took me straight home this time; I blinked in surprise when it tucked itself into our driveway. I hadn't been paying attention the whole way home, so focused was I on what I would say if I saw Edward. Part of me was relieved when I saw his car already parked…but part of me was infuriated. The worst part about loving someone who hurts you is that the love can so easily bleed into hate; the two are flip sides to the same coin.

He was sitting on the couch when I walked in with my shoes in one hand and purse in the other. I dropped the shoes beside our welcome mat and shut the door, locking it quietly.

"Bella," he said, standing slowly.

I dragged my eyes over to him, unmoved by his tears. "What."

He shook his head, coming toward me. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," I nodded, continuing to our bedroom. He followed me.

"What are you doing? You don't have to – don't leave. Please. If you want me to go, I'll go, please-"

"I can't be here. This apartment smells like you, and right now you make me sick," I snapped, empowered by my pity-turned-rage.

"Bella, please," he begged, blocking me as I tried to get to the chest of drawers.

"What, Edward? Seriously, what? What could you possibly say to explain what I saw? Six years together and it ends like this?" I cried, the tears returning with a vengeance.

"Ends? No, no, this isn't the end," he said, his face contorting. He gripped my arms gently, and I let him, too exhausted to fight him off. "I will do whatever it takes to fix this."

"That's very unoriginal," I said bitterly, staring at the top button of his shirt.

We stayed that way for a small eternity…minutes ticking by until I took a step back. "How many times?"

"That was the first time."

"I don't believe that," I huffed.

"It's true. I've never…done…that, before," he replied tonelessly.

"It's hard for me to believe what you say now," I said softly, feeling the grief slipping back in. I edged around him and made it to the dresser, where I hurriedly threw a change of clothes into m bag.

"I promise…it will never happen again," he said brokenly, right behind me as I stood. "I know you don't believe me, but as long as it takes-"

"Why did you do it? Did you do it?"

"I was…touching her. She kissed me, that's it," he whispered. "I know that doesn't make it any better, I just…"

"No," I agreed. "It doesn't. It makes me sick! You _would have_ done it if no one had interrupted you!"

"I love you, Bella," he said, turning me around to face him. "I know you hate me right now, but I will do _anything-"_

"You didn't answer me. Why did you do it?"

"I – I don't know. She's been flirting with me for weeks. I was attracted to her, but I told her I was engaged and that I wasn't interested. When she came on to me today I just… I don't know. I just gave in," he stammered, his eyes darting all around the room.

He looked like crap.

I gaped openly at him. "You were just…_curious?"_

He stared back at me, anguished. "You hate me. And you should."

I shook my head. "I love you. And you just hurt me worse than I ever thought possible."

"Can we talk about it? Or just..if you don't want to talk to me, I can leave you alone. Please, just don't leave me."

"I can't be around you right now," I whimpered, my heart pounding. It felt unnatural to be at odds with him, but he'd broken my heart. I had no clue what to do, what was right.

Shoving him away, I left the bedroom. Taking a quick look around, I decided I had what I needed for the night. I walked out the door without looking back, bringing my phone to my ear as I rang Rose.


	10. Chapter 10: Dehydrated

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T  
Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

_**this one's short, but i'd just finished chapter 20 of Volition (which will be posted tonight) and was just a smidge exhausted. *yawns* still, enjoy. it's fluffy-ish._

* * *

Alice knocked softly on the bathroom door. "Are you okay, Bella?

I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, plopping onto my behind. I'd been genuflecting at the feet of the porcelain god all evening, probably because of the leftovers I'd pigged out on earlier.

"Um, not really," I croaked belatedly, reaching up to flush the toilet.

"Do you need anything?" she asked worriedly.

Wincing, I struggled to my feet - even straightening up hurt. "I'll be right out," I said, bending my face toward the sink so I could rinse my mouth. I hadn't felt this awful in years. The girls and I were in our last year of college, and had long outgrown the days of binge drinking and the subsequent hangovers. I was also meticulous about getting annual flu shots, so illness – especially the vomiting kind - rarely afflicted me.

When I finally emerged from the bathroom, Alice was leaning against the opposite wall, waiting for me.

"The fish," we both said at the same time.

She patted my arm sympathetically. "I had a bad feeling about it – "

"-and I should have listened," I finished, shaking my head. "I need to lie down."

"Okay, I'm gonna go rent a movie, since we're obviously staying in tonight. Anything you wanna see?" She paused next to the front door, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

"It doesn't matter, I'll watch anything," I said pathetically, stumbling toward our living room couch.

Lying down was a small relief, and I closed my eyes, wishing I'd asked Alice to turn off the brighter of the two lamps before leaving.

Right as I began to doze off, my stomach clenched painfully. My eyes popped open, and I darted off the couch, barely making it to the bathroom in time.

A half an hour and two bathroom trips later, I lay spent on the couch. My body finally felt as if it was finished torturing me, and I shuddered in relief, using my toes to grab the blanket at the end of the couch.

I heard keys right outside, and then the door opened. Alice poked her head in, smiling. "You okay?"

Burrowing further beneath the fleece blanket, I squinted at her. "Yeah, I guess…"

"Good. Look who I found at the video store!" With a flourish she opened the door the rest of the way, and in walked Jasper and Edward, two delicious guys that lived down the block. We'd actually gone on a double date with them a few nights prior, and I hadn't been able to stop thinking of Edward since.

This, however, was _not_ the way I'd envisioned seeing him again.

"Great," I said weakly, trying to disappear into the couch cushions.

Jasper smiled, waving. "Sorry you're feeling bad," he commiserated.

Edward stepped forward, a six pack of ginger ale in hand. "I thought you could use this…it's the only thing I can keep down when I'm sick like that."

My stomach fluttered; a welcome sensation after hours of puking my guts out.

"Thanks," I said shyly, propping myself up on an elbow and running a hand through my definitely-awful hair.

He grinned, kneeling next to me. "You're probably really dehydrated, huh?"

"Probably," I agreed, trying not to breathe in his direction.

Alice put the DVD she'd rented into the player. "Anyone want popcorn?"

"Not I, Popeye," I groaned through sips of ginger ale.

"I'll abstain too, then," Edward said, tapping my blanketed feet so I'd moved them. To my surprise, he put them on to his lap when he sat.

I blushed, embarrassed and giddy by his touchiness. He was too much of a gentleman to kiss me goodnight on our date, but he was okay with touching my feet now?

Alice and Jasper's voices drifted on from the kitchen, punctuated my Alice's flirty laughter.

I glanced back at Edward, who for some reason was lifting the blanket off of my feet.

He snorted in amusement. "I love a girl in toe socks."


	11. Chapter 11: Chapped Lip

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M

Notes: Part of the "Alabaster" series (or, as one reader so sweetly put it, "Cheatward". ha!)

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

* * *

Edward walked slowly to the window, gazing out at the falling snow. The glass was smooth and cold on his fingertips, and he stayed close to it for a while, watching his breath fog it up in patches.

It had been six months since Bella had left him, and while Emmett had reassured him it would get easier, that didn't seem to be the case. Every day felt like the first day; the same sense of hopelessness…of a broken heart. He was even worse off than she was, because while she'd been wronged, he been the one to _do_ the wronging. He had guilt and loss going for him.

Their friends and family had all ripped him a new one when news of his infidelity leaked out that first week. Lately though, Edward was no longer so much of a social pariah. He went to dinner at Em and Rose's place several times a week, and Jasper and Alice usually included him in their never ending barrage of outside activities: hiking, camping, ski trips further north.

Em and Jasper were his brothers; they didn't understand what had possessed him to cheat on the love of his life – and that's how they referred to her still – but they loved him. It had taken Rose much, _much_ longer to forgive him, and even then she did so begrudgingly. The fact that Edward was miserable and lonely seemed to assuage her rancor toward him.

Then there was Alice, the eternal optimist. She'd spent the most time with Bella after the break up, and had even encouraged her to leave at the end of the summer, to go somewhere fresh and new so she could clear her mind. She was the most confident that Bella would return, not just to Forks, but to Edward. She'd never been angry with him, really, just deeply disappointed… and because of that it was her reaction had affected Edward the most.

There had been plenty of discussions after the night Bella left to spend the night with Rose and Emmett. Nothing Edward said seemed to make a difference, though. Even when the initial pain and anger had faded, there was still so much hurt and mistrust. Their conversations went in circles, leaving them both frustrated. Days turned into weeks, and Bella found an apartment on the other side of town. Because they'd been together for so long, all of their possessions were shared – and that included friends and hang out spots. They ran into each other often enough, even though neither of them went out alone as much as they had together.

Weeks turned to months, and Bella told Emmett (who immediately told Edward) that she'd begun to consider a life outside of Forks. Everywhere she looked, she saw evidence of Edward, of their lives, their memories, and it instead of helping her heal, it was breaking her down.

Edward could understand that, because he felt the same way. He saw and felt Bella everywhere.

Everywhere except his office.

He no longer enjoyed the huge windows overlooking the bright and vivid greens of the forest just beyond building. The neutral earth tones of the walls and carpet, and feng-shui that Alice had so thoughtfully used to decorate the furniture when he'd first settled in now mocked him. There was nothing neutral about his life, nothing soothing, and nothing orderly.

He felt out of sync and misplaced, a boat without a rudder.

More often than not Carlisle found him sitting at his desk, staring blankly out the window, and he knew.

Edward had made one of the biggest mistakes of his young life.

He'd asked his son once, why? What had he been thinking?

And Edward didn't have a good enough reason. Not that there was ever a good reason to be unfaithful, but in his case it was really nebulous. He'd had never been so naïve as to think that just because he was in love with one person, he couldn't be attracted to another. But other women, no matter how sexy or beautiful, had always been passing fancies. None held a candle to the girl he was going to marry.

Tanya Denali was one of the most attractive females he'd ever seen, and she seemed to sense he saw her as such. Once she sets her sights on Edward, the game was on. She was dogged in her attempts to capture his attention, and twice he'd politely turned down her advances.

Until that day…

She'd marched right into his office, under the pretense of delivering paperwork from her husband. As soon as the door was closed, she marched over to Edward, perching her perfect little ass on his desk, her skirt riding up, her knees just inches away from his chest. He'd never been so tempted in all of his life. One voice was screaming at him to just go for it, when would anyone ever know? The other voice was quieter, more serious, asking him how he could even consider doing such a thing? Not just to Bella, but to his own sense of integrity?

A strong wind rattled the shutters, bringing Edward back to the present. Thinking about how close he'd come to screwing that women made him sick. It had cost him almost everything he cared about.

He licked his lips, wincing. Like every winter, they were dry and chapped, red and sore. Bella had always kept little tubes and pots of lip balm all over the house, knowing this about him. He looked around the room, knowing there wasn't any around. He'd have to go to the store and pick some up soon, or his lips would actually start cracking.

Two cups of coffee later, Edward bundled up and got in to his car. He let the engine warm up for a few seconds before shifting into first and carefully navigating out to the main road. It wasn't icy yet, but he knew it would be soon. This was the first major snowfall of winter, and he didn't have any salt for the driveway yet.

On route to the supermarket, he passed by the construction site of the beautiful three story home Cullen & Associates had created blue prints for a few months before. Things had been coming along accordingly and by the looks of things, they were ahead of schedule. Edward smiled a little – and then stopped because it his lips were too chapped – because t was just the sort of house Bella would have liked.

He wondered where she was now, and if she was happy. He wondered if she was dating again; any attempts he made to pump Alice for information were unfruitful, and Rose sure as hell wasn't offering anything.

He pulled into the parking lot and jumped out, bracing himself against the snow and wind. As he hurried pass the cash registers in the front of the store, a magazine caught his eye.

He froze, noticing that his fingers were actually trembling a little as he reached for it.

If Edward had any hope, even the slimmest, of getting Bella back, it might be right here.


	12. Chapter 12:Electrocution

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T

Notes: Part of the "Alabaster" series (or, as one reader so sweetly put it, "Cheatward". ha!)

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

"He's doing what?"

Emmett sighed in exasperation. "He's building a house."

"Building?" Rose echoed dumbly, blowing a wisp of hair out of her face. "A house?"

"Baby, I love you, but I've said it about three times."

She sat on the couch, shaking her head. "It's just -I don't… he really thinks that's going to get her back?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, but he has to try."

"You guys specialize in architecture, not construction," Rose pointed out, frowning at the slowly melting snow outside.

"Yeah, but we have contacts and connections. I didn't say he was gonna be out there doing it by himself, just that he had the blueprints and planned to start on the first of February," Emmett said.

He had, to admit; the day his little brother had called, his voice carrying something other than sadness or sarcasm, Em had been excited, too. He wasn't sure if Edward's idea was really that… practical – after all, what would he do if Bella didn't want him or the house? What would he do then? Sell it? Emmett imagined it would be a little too painful to live alone in something built for the purpose of starting over _with_ someone.

Rose sighed, breaking Em out of his reverie. "I… I think it's kind of romantic."

He stared at her, an eyebrow arched.

"Ok, it's really romantic. Especially since it's so personal. He's not just dictating from his desk or the phone… he's going to be in there with the builders, dropping stuff on his feet and getting splinters in his fingers…" she smiled wryly, shaking her head. "…and nothing says "I love you" like accidental electrocution."

"Yeah, really," Emmett muttered, sitting beside his wife. "I'm gonna help him out when I can, me and Jasper both."

"It'll be like the Amish communities, raising barns," she teased.

"Right," he rolled his eyes. "Except it won't be the entire town in on the effort."

Rose grew quiet, her gaze back on the scene outside. Their backyard was huge, a border of pine trees at the border, separating their property from the woods beyond. Like both Jasper and Carlisle, Emmett had bought a home with no neighbors behind, nothing but trees to look at. It was especially gorgeous on days like today, when the branches were weighted with fallen snow, the needles and leaves dripping with white and wet.

"I think Bella will like it," she whispered eventually, tucking herself into Emmett's side. "I think maybe his stupid idea will work."

She truly hoped so. They had all missed Bella when she'd decided to leave Forks, even though she promised it wasn't for good. Rose had even been irritated with Alice, who she felt had no right to encourage Bella to go somewhere else when her home was here, with friends and family.

As time went on though, she understood Alice's thought process, and admittedly, Bella did sound better. Rose would never tell Edward this, because she still harbored some resentment toward the bastard…but Bella couldn't date. And it wasn't for a lack of trying…

Bella had called more than once, trying not to cry because none of the idiots who asked her out were Edward.

Needless to say, Bella Swan would be coming home eventually, and when she did, maybe Edward's grand gesture, along with lots of groveling and further discussion, would enable them a new beginning.

Rose certainly hoped so. She was tired of feeding Edward three days a week.


	13. Chapter 13: CNN prompt

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M

**Notes:** continues the characters and scenario established by "Abracadabra". some pretty wily kids, i tell ya.

_Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Live Challenge:** Open CNN(dot)com. Take ten seconds to scan the page; pick an article. Write a story, poem, or drabble about your character being involved in that issue.

the "issue"/topic i chose (ahem, not surprisingly) was: "Mom, son start legal marijuana farm".

* * *

I stared blankly at the open field behind the old Whitlock farmhouse, trying to calm down before I gave myself a heart attack or a hernia. I mean, Alice and Jasper had always been a bit…eccentric in their ways, but this really took the cake.

My mouth opened, closed, opened. "Does Edward know about this?"

Jasper dashed his cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe before tossing it into an old planter. "Yep."

"And your dad?"

Jasper cocked his head, furrowing his brows in amusement. "Seriously, Bella? He's liberal but not _that_ liberal."

"So they won't find out this is out here?" I asked worriedly, wringing my hands in full fret mode.

Jasper stretched, linking his fingers and holding his hands above his head as he gazed out at the fruits of his labor. "Dude, they never even come out here. It's not like back in the day when we'd stay for weekends during the summer. My mom comes like, once a year to make sure it's clean and decent or whatever. I've had the run of the place for years."

"But still! How do you plan to get away with this? It's completely ridiculous! And irresponsible! And – and – illegal. Alice!"

She looked dreamily at me, chewing on a blade of grass - a silly habit she'd long picked up from Jasper. "What?"

"You're endorsing this?" I huffed.

"I'm not endorsing anything, Bella. I'm just supporting my man."

Jasper grinned down at her, slinging his arm around her shoulder and holding her close.

I shook my head incredulously. "Okay, well, while the two of you live it up hippie-commune-style out here in the bushes, I'm going to go back to civilization, you know, where I won't be arrested for growing pot."

Alice rolled eyes, shaking Jasper's arm off before stepping closer to me. "I get it. You don't agree with this type of …generating income. But before you pull the whole high and mighty act, don't forget you tripped last weekend. You. Squeaky clean Isabella . You. Tripped. And smoked. And made out with Edward, very heavily I might add-"

Clapping a hand over her mouth, I glanced up at Jasper, who just smiled and walked away, an exaggerated swagger in his step. "Okay, missy," I hissed. "You've made your point. But toking up on the weekend and starting a frigging herbal enterprise are two different things altogether. I'm just saying. If you guys got caught…" I trailed off, not even wanting to imagine it. I'd seen the movies, where helicopters swooped down and destroyed illegal crops, started massive fires to destroy them… DEA agents with their crazy, rabid dogs…

Alice hated orange with a passion – how the hell was she going to manage in one of those awful jumpsuits? I'd have to write to her and Jazz - keep up morale. Maybe Edward would accompany me during visits; I'd watched Prison Break faithfully and while Michael Scofield was like, the hottest thing since…ever… I didn't want to risk running into -

"Babycakes,"Alice cooed reassuringly, linking our arms. She walked us closer to the little patchwork array of various greens and golds, the rickety greenhouse in the very back. Apparently, there were different kinds of marijuana, and they required various amounts of sunshine, water and nutrients. I knew nothing of the sort, but I wasn't surprised that Jasper – and now Alice by extension – seemed to have master's degrees in "agriculture".

Good Lord.

"Bella. I trust you to keep this on the down low, obviously, but this is actually legal."

Frowning, I halted in my tracks, making her jerk to a stop with me. "How?"

"It's medical marijuana. Jasper did all of the necessary research and paperwork and, well, other stuff, but to make a long story short he got permission to grow this. He'll be selling it to certain government agencies for the purpose of medicine and research," Alice explained proudly, her head held high.

"Oh," I said, overwhelmingly relieved. "Okay. Well… that changes things. So he can't like… be arrested then."

She shook her head. "Nope. He has his permits and his license and all that good stuff. We can't have crazy pot parties out here or anything, or sell it on the street, but he will make good money doing this. It's really going to help fund our college tuitions."

"He's helping you with your tuition?" I asked gently, impressed with Jasper all over again.

"Yeah," she replied, shrugging. "I said I'd pay him back, but he told me it didn't matter cuz what's his is mine and what's mine is his."

"There you go with the hippie-commune stuff again," I said wryly, making a face.

"Otherwise known as marriage, Bella," she shot back, shoving her left hand in my face. A slender ring with a decent bling sparkled softly in the late afternoon sunlight.

"Oh crap, no wonder he has to sell weed to support you," I deadpanned, squeezing her fingers between my own so I could further examine the ring. Finally, I released her hand, bringing my eyes up to meet her hers. "It's really pretty. I can't believe you didn't tell me before now."

"Don't be mad. He just asked today, right before you came," she said quickly, tugging me closer for a hug.

Hugging her back, I looked out once again over their "secret" before turning away. "I'm not mad. I'm really, really happy for you. A little weirded out over," I waved my hand around, "all of that, but okay. As long as you guys won't get in trouble."

"Wanna smoke a joint?" Jasper asked slyly, pulling a fattie from behind his ear as he emerged from wherever.

"I won't be able to go home for hours. Charlie would have my behind," I sighed.

Leaves crackled behind me and I turned half way, knowing Edward was there. I looked over at him, keeping cool. "Hey."

"Hey," he said, tossing a lighter to Jasper. "Let's do this. "

I paused, peeking to Alice for support, but she was back to smirking ad winking and being all-knowing-annoying.

Edward slid his hand around my waist, his thumb rough and touching the skin on my hip. "Okay?"

It was impossible to say no to him, something that could be seriously problematic in the near future if he kept up with this.

"Okay."


	14. Chapter 14: Sea Salt

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T

**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic" (the waterbed scene).

* none of these are beta'd, so, there may be errors (i know a few of the last ones had a typo or two, which is mildly infuriating, but, these are meant to be submitted "as is" and unedited...)

_Disclaimer__: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt**: Sea Salt

* * *

Jacob tackled me again, making sure to wrap his arms around my body so that when we hit the sand I wouldn't get too hurt.

"Oof," I grunted, the wind having been knocked from me anyway. "I thought we were playing Frisbee, Jake."

He grinned, jumping up and dragging me with him. "Sorry, I can't help it. Every time you catch it I get the urge to, to- "

"To jump on me," I finished wryly, brushing sand from my arms. "You're like an overzealous puppy."

"So you think I'm cute," he said cockily, shaking water from his short, spiky black hair.

Nodding, I bit down on my lip to hold in a smile. He _was_ very cute…and he knew I was attracted to him. He wanted me too – which is why he kept on asking me out. We'd kissed a couple times, no big deal really, but I'd have been lying if I said there wasn't chemistry between us.

He elbowed me, winking, and I rolled my eyes, tossing the Frisbee as far away as I could. I watched as he ran down the shore after it, his very toned, very muscular body a nice sight indeed.

It was an uncharacteristically bright and sunny day, a warm breeze blowing softly up and down the beach, and I was glad we'd decided to take advantage of it. We weren't the only ones; there were other groups scattered up and down the beach: sunning, splashing, or playing games like we were.

It had been awhile since I'd come to First Beach. Jacob and I had made plans to meet the night before… but I'd cancelled at the last minute because I was exhausted.

Well, that was the lame excuse I'd given him, but while he was a jock he was by no means stupid, so I wasn't sure if he even believed me. The truth was I'd spent half the night in Edward's new waterbed, kissing and touching and rolling around. Nothing below the belt, of course, but…still. Thoughts of his mouth and his laugh kept distracting me and I didn't see the bright red Frisbee until it was inches from my face.

It went flying past me, despite my last minute attempts at grappling for it.

"Ha! What was that?!" Jacob shouted gleefully, starting to jog over.

I spun around to pick it up, but Lauren Mallory had gotten to it first. She handed it to me, smiling.

"Uh, thanks Lauren," I said breathlessly. We were in the same class, but had never really been friends. We ran with different crowds; she was a little conceited, but friendly enough.

"It's cool," she shrugged, turning away from me to wave at someone coming down the beach.

I squinted, not recognizing the swim trucks or baseball cap…but I'd know the walk anywhere.

Well, well. Edward was here with Lauren; great.

He looked up and saw me, the corner of his mouth tugging upward, and my heart dropped to my feet; my face scorched with the memory of those lips on mine.

His almost-smile vanished as quickly as it had started – right as Jacob slid his arm around my waist.

"'Sup, Cullen," he called jovially.

Jacob and Edward kind of despised each other, but it was only because of football. They were quarterbacks on rival high school teams, so the animosity wasn't that major. My father had been friends with Jake's for years, so it was easy for me to overlook the whole football thing.

"Not a thing," Edward said casually, nodding at me. "Bella."

"Hey," I said, fiddling with the Frisbee.

"Hey, can we play?" Lauren asked, dropping her bag and shimmying out of her t-shirt and shorts. "I haven't played Frisbee in forever. You don't mind, right?"

"Sure, why not," Jake said amiably. He smirked at Edward. "You down?"

Edward pulled his shirt off and I averted my eyes, nervous Jake would wonder why the hell I was blushing all of a sudden.

We began to play, Jake and me against Edward and Lauren, but as time went by the game went from light and fun to rowdy and aggressive. Jake and Lauren were having a grand old time, laughing and hollering and giving each other high fives…which made no sense, seeing they were supposed to be on opposite teams.

Jake tossed the Frisbee and it shot straight toward me before a brisk wind made it abruptly change its course, causing it to fly toward the ocean.

"Dammit!" I gasped, sorely out of shape as I chased the silly thing down. Edward ran alongside me, trying to get to it first.

"What are you-" I squealed, diving into the water at the same time he did.

The Frisbee floated away, caught by a surprisingly strong current. Determined, I swam toward it but Edward quickly overtook me and snatched it up.

"Ha!" he crowed, treading water and holding the bright red toy above water.

"Oh, whatever," I muttered, pushing my hair out of my face. "Unlike _some _people I wasn't on swim team for ten years."

"What a sore loser," he teased.

"Screw you."

His smile turned to a sneer. "Screw me? Or screw Jacob Black? Does he know why you couldn't come last night?"

"You're here with Lauren Mallory," I pointed out, turning so I could start to make my way back toward shore. I noticed with faint alarm we'd drifted out much further than we'd meant to; the same riptide that had captured the Frisbee was now dragging us out rapidly.

"That's different," he said, frowning at the shoreline. "Come on, we have to swim alongside the current, not against it."

"Okay," I agreed, trying not to panic. Jake and Lauren were standing at the water's edge now, and though it was too hard to see their faces, I could tell they were concerned. I waved to them, noticing belatedly the twin yellow flags on opposite ends of the beach. Jake was a strong swimmer, but even he knew better than to get himself into our situation; if we didn't make headway soon he'd probably have to grab a lifeguard.

"How did we not see the yellow flags?" I groaned, beginning to feel winded.

"Stop talking and keep swimming," Edward gasped, sounding a little worn out himself.

Eventually we made it to the cliffs jutting out at one end of the beach, and he reached back, yanking me along as he reached a rock we could cling to. With my last shred of strength, I pulled myself up; grateful we were done battling the undertow. My arms were burning and sea salt was burning my eyes.

"You okay?" Edward panted, his hands splayed on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah," I said, my heart pounding furiously. "I can't believe you still have the Frisbee."

He chuckled. "Neither can I, actually."

We stayed still for a moment until a shout caught our attention. Jake and Lauren had followed us down, and were standing on the shore, waving for us to come in.

"We're coming," Edward yelled, scowling. "Jeez."

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Besides the fact we nearly drowned just now?"

"You're being pissy," I sighed, lowering myself back into the water. From here it was easy to wade from rock to rock and get back to the beach.

He slipped in beside me, grabbing my wrist with his free hand.

My heart skipped a beat, because we were now partly blocked from the beach and I knew what was coming. Shivering a little, I looked at him. "What?" I asked quietly, trying not to focus on his mouth.

"You know what," he said, pulling me closer and kissing me.


	15. Chapter 15: Old Habits

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T

Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Alabaster"  
_Disclaimer__: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt:** Old Habits Die Hard

* * *

Tapping my finger anxiously against my desk, I waited for Alice to pick up on the other end. She eventually answered, but it wasn't really her…just a pre-recorded voicemail message. My stomach was in knots and I reached absently to twist my ring before realizing it wasn't there. It was a nervous habit I'd had for years, turning it circles during tests in high school or even while watching suspenseful scenes in movies.

Edward had first put his ring on me in eleventh grade. We'd been going together for a while, and one night he just sort of popped it on my finger. It wasn't even a promise ring, really, just something to say I belonged to him. And I did. We belonged to each other. Years later, that simple silver ring was exchanged for an engagement ring,

My ring finger had been bare since the night I'd moved out of our apartment for good. I didn't give him back the ring – that would have been too painful, too final – but I couldn't wear it, either. Still, on nights like these when I was keyed up and lonely and wondering _again_ what I was doing alone in Seattle… I automatically began twisting the imaginary ring.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

Tossing my phone on to the couch, I paced over to the window, gazing out at the street below. I was days away from the end of my six month lease and unsure as to whether or not I wanted to renew it. Going into it, I'd been sure that half a year would be sufficient time for me to gather my thoughts… but now I was I lost as I'd always been. Perhaps I did need to go home. Alice never pushed, and neither did Rose or my father, but I heard it in their voices: they missed me and while they were careful not to mention Edward…I knew he missed me too.

Undoubtedly, I missed home; I'd never been away for so long. Edward and I had gone to school together in Portland, which was relatively far from home – for me, anyway – but we'd had each other. Edward's brothers and my girlfriends were scattered up and down the west coast but we'd made it a point to meet up every couple of months, if we could. We usually all ended up back in Forks during the summer and for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wasn't used to being isolated.

Still, it had been a good experience, and no one could say I didn't try.

My phone beeped melodically, and I swooped it up, pleased to see Alice's name on the screen.

"Hey," I answered, curling up on the couch.

"Hi, Bella! Sorry I missed you; I was upstairs," Alice said, sounding a little out of breath. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine… I'm, um…" I frowned, staring at the tiny, fading tan line on my ring finger, a phantom of what was once real.

"You want to come home," she guessed when I didn't continue.

"I do. My lease is up soon, and I don't think the diner's going to go under without me," I joked, the weight in my chest beginning to lift. Now that I'd said it aloud, it felt more official. This is what I needed to do.

"I'll be up there on Saturday, to help you," she said excitedly.

"You were the one who wanted me to go," I reminded her, closing my eyes against the burn of tears.

"Yes, to give yourself some space. And you've done that. He's done that, too," she replied gently, referring to Edward for one of the first times in months.

That didn't sound good, somehow. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing bad, Bella. I just mean… I think …I think he needed to sort out his life, too. So…yeah," she said cryptically.

"Hmm," I said. Alice was keeping something quiet, and that was fine – especially if it concerned _him_.

Frankly, I had no idea whatsoever what I wanted to do about him. I couldn't live with him and I couldn't live without him. It would take a small miracle to help the two of us figure out the best path, and whether it was together or apart.

Still, going back to Forks was mainly about me, not Edward-and-me.

Alice cleared her throat. "So, Saturday?"

"Yeah, okay. See you then," I said. "Love you."

"Love you, too. I'm so excited!"

I ended the call, allowing anticipation to bloom in my chest.


	16. Chapter 16: Smoke

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M

Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic"  
_Disclaimer__: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

Prompt: Smoke

* * *

Another Friday night bonfire.

Several bonfires, actually, and I knew people in every group: the smokers (chillin'), the drinkers (chortling), the stargazers (er, stargazing) and the campfire types (roasting marshmallows). Well, that's the way it looked, but everyone was sort of mingling and wandering around.

Even though I saw Edward at school all the time, we hadn't really talked since the weekend before…and even that had been 80% kissing and maybe 20% talking. I wasn't sure how I felt about him anymore, and that was frustrating. Of course I'd always known he was cute; I often saw girls eyeing him, heard their comments on the field during PE or in the line at lunch. I just had never wanted him in that way, really. Whether it had been a genuine lack of attraction or perhaps a subtler, subconscious decision not to interfere with our easy going friendship, I didn't know.

What I did know was that after the waterbed debacle, my kissing fantasies no longer starred Jacob Black…they starred Edward. He definitely seemed irritated at the mention of Jake, and had no problem planting a wet one on me when he felt like it, but we hadn't discussed How We Felt.

Frankly, we probably never would. Maybe it was better that way, simpler. His good looks and yummy kisses didn't automatically qualify him as boyfriend material. With the exception of Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley, most of the guys on the team preferred playing the field.

Pun totally intended.

"Why so quiet?" Alice asked, leaning toward me so she bumped my shoulder with hers. We were currently stationed at the drinkers' fire, but that might have to change because apparently drinking games were now starting and that just wasn't my thing. Mainly because I sucked at games like that. And I couldn't hold my liquor. And playing games while inebriated made me worse at the games which then led to further drunkenness and I knew that was the point but still. No.

"Bella!" she laughed, shoving me.

I caught myself before keeling over on to the blanket. "Sorry! I was just …" I trailed off, not sure what I was doing.

"Were you with the smokers?" she asked, her voice accusatory.

"No! Jeez," I cried, making a face. "I can be out of it _naturally_ you know."

"Hm," she nodded. "Is Jacob coming tonight?"

"Yeah, he had to pick up Quil and Embry first though. You know how that goes."

Rosalie floated over to us, smelling like a cross between pot and peppermint. "Hey, babies," she cooed, dropping to her knees in the sand. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing. Why do you smell like-" I sniffed her. "Christmas?"

"Schnapps," she said, winking at me. She was drunk though, and probably a little stoned, so it just made her look silly.

Alice giggled. "You see, that's why I don't smoke."

"But Emmett-" Rose breathed dreamily.

"Yes, Emmett. I don't know how he's captain of the football team, he smokes like a damn chimney," I snorted, glancing over at the tow-headed object of Rose's affections. It looked like he was doing bong rips now.

"You guys, I have the munchies. I need s'mores. Get it? I need s'more?" Rose grinned.

"Hilarious," I agreed dryly, standing up and pulling Rose with me. "Come on."

The three of us walked over to where there was an abundance of marshmallows and chocolate… and Edward.

"Hey," I said, a little surprised. I hadn't seen when he'd arrived.

"Omygoshedward you have to give me some of those," Rose gasped, salivating.

"Hey," he said, looking up at us as he handed Rose several marshmallows speared on a skewer. She wandered away, probably returning to Emmett. Alice curled her fingers around my arm. "I see Jazz, gotta go."

_Thanks, guys. Abandon me, why dontcha._

Wondering if Edward had come with a girl or just the guys, I snuck a glance around the fire.

"What are you doing?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing," I said quickly, sitting down. "So, um, what are you up to?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Nothing."

The silence was awkward. Great.

"Is Lauren here?" I asked, reaching for a nearby bag of marshmallows.

"I don't know," he shrugged, leaning back on his elbows.

I wasn't sure if he felt weird too, now, and I hated that. Did he even want me sitting by him? Was he waiting for something… for some_one_? And we did he have the upper hand? Did he even feel different at all or was I just making this up in my mind?

"So where's your boyfriend?" he teased, watching as I carefully poked my stick into the fire. Tendrils of smoke, both wispy and thick, rose up from the fire. I loved that smell, of burning wood…

"If you mean Jacob, I don't know. He said he'd be here," I replied extra-casually.

"Obviously that's who I mean," he muttered.

"Why do you care?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Same reason you care if Lauren's here," he said smugly.

"So has she experienced the World Class Waterbed?" I teased, pulling my marshmallows out. They were perfectly charred, and my mouth watered at the sight.

"Yeah."

My stomach knotted abruptly and I paused, not sure I wanted these stupid marshmallows after all.

"Oh."

"What do you mean, 'oh'?"

I glared down at him. "Why are you like that? This is just, ugh, I don't know. "

"You're catching feelings, I get it," he chuckled arrogantly.

I wanted to kill him.

Instead, I grabbed a handful of the sticky white crap on my stick and smeared it all over his stupid, sexy, smirking face.

He sat up, murder in his eyes. "What the f-"

Jumping up, I made my escape, not wanting to deal with the aftermath. Granted, it was very satisfying to shut him up, but still. He was pissed now; I'd _definitely _crossed a line.

Forget that. We'd crossed the line when we'd kissed in that damn waterbed.

Problem was, there was nowhere to hide…plus, I wasn't even sure what I was hiding from. He wouldn't like, hurt me, would he? He'd probably try to get me back, and marshmallow would be a bitch to get out of my hair. I hovered behind Rose and Emmett, who were snuggling and snickering over s'mores.

"Hey Bella-baby," Rose said sweetly, not finding it strange I was cowering behind her and Emmett.

"Shh."

"What're you doing?" Emmett whispered turning a glazed, goofy grin in my direction.

"Hiding," I whispered back.

"From who?"

"From me," Edward growled, yanking me up by the back of my hoodie.

"Stop it, let go!" I screeched, floundering. Rose fell back on to her towel, laughing hysterically.

Edward slung me roughly over his shoulder, his shoulder making contact with my gut and knocking the breath from me. "Ow!" I yelled, pummeling my fists into his back. He rubbed his sticky face against the back of my thigh, getting goo all over my skin.

"You think you're funny," he muttered, carrying past the cat calls and laughter. It was shard to see, hanging upside down, but I was beginning t feel more than a little embarrassed, my ass stuck up in the air like that.

It had only been a few seconds, but if felt longer, and I noticed the glow of the bonfires give way to darkness.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Where are you going?" I gasped, trying to straighten up somehow.

Water. I could hear the steady rush of the tide as it pulled in and out; feel Edward's body falter as he sank into wet sand. He hadn't said anything else, and that was freaking me out.

"I said," I said, clenching his shirt in my fists, "I was sorry. Do not drop me in there, Edward."

Slowly, he eased me off of his shoulder, sliding my body down the front of his. My face throbbed as the blood rushed out of it and I breathed deeply, trying to compose myself.

He smiled and threw me into the chilly, dark water.

For some reason, instead of being epically angry, I was mortified. A few people had followed us and were standing at the water's edge, their hands over their mouths as they tried not to laugh outright. Edward frowned, coming toward me like he was sorry…or something.

Standing up, I trudged out of the water and onto the beach, shivering violently. Alice, Emmett and Rose appeared, looking back and forth between me and Edward. Rose grabbed my hand, my predicament seeming to sober her up.

"Dude," Emmett said, looking at Edward in disgust.

"Can you just drive me home?" I whispered to Rose, horrified that hot tears were streaming down my cheeks. Slowly the onlookers began to walk away, and Emmett tore his sweatshirt off, thrusting it at me.

"Bella," Edward began.

"Get the hell out of here, Edward," Rose snapped, shoving him away. She and Alice hovered around me, helping me peel the sopping hoodie off so I could replace it with the warm fleece of Emmett's.

As we walked away, I peeked back at Edward, but he was staring out at the sea, rubbing marshmallow off his face.


	17. Chapter 17: Rapport

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M

Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic". (again, not beta'ed. notify me if you find errors...)

_Disclaimer__: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt**: Rapport

* * *

My phone vibrated around ten am. I ignored it and rolled over, but then it vibrated again, and continued doing so until it had thrown itself off my nightstand. Unfortunately I needed to pee, so staying cocooned in bed wasn't an option at the moment anyway. Rolling out of bed, I snatched the little phone off the floor on my way to the bathroom, yawning as I looked over the texts that had come through that morning.

There was one from Alice, saying she loved me. That made me smile; she was such a peach.

There was another from Rose, asking if I still wanted to come over for dinner at her house later on.

The most recent were from Edward. There was a small series of them:

_Sry about last nite_

_U rly pissed me off tho_

_Why r u acting so f*d up lately_

_Ok im rly sry_

_U can call the dogs off now_

I frowned at the last one, cryptic as it was. What the hell was he talking about? Finishing up in the bathroom, I crawled back into bed. For once I had nowhere to be, no immediate plans to deal with. Alice had mentioned going into Seattle with Jasper and Rose was spending the day with her grandparents, who were visiting from out of town.

Another text came through, from Jacob this time. I grimaced, not in the mood.

_U ok? Sorry I wasn't there when Cullen acted up._

Obviously, he'd heard. I was sure everyone had, by this point. On one hand, it didn't matter that much; the majority of people at the beach the night before were ones I'd grown up with, kids I went to school with or knew from around town. They'd seen worse and no one would even care in a day or two.

What I hadn't anticipated when it all went down was how awful it made me feel that Edward would treat me that way. I knew I'd overreacted by smashing marshmallows on his face, but his cocky remark had just…done something to me. He'd made it quite clear that I had feelings while he did not. How was I supposed to respond to that?

I missed our old, easy rapport, the way it had been for years before. Unhindered by romantic - or horny – feelings, we'd spent hours goofing around together or with the rest of our friends – at the beach, battling it out on playstation, going to the movies, having dinner at each other's home's. It was perfection and we'd gone and messed it up by letting hormones get in the way.

Flopping back onto my pillows, I quickly typed a response to Jake.

_No big, I'm fine. kinda tired today tho._

I pressed 'send', hoping he'd take my subtle hint that I wasn't in the mood to hang out.

He replied instantly.

_Want me to come over? I can bring a movie._

Dammit, Jake.

_No that's ok. Maybe 2morrow?_

_:( ok. feel better._

I felt a little guilty, but I'd always made it a practice to be straightforward…well, until this Edward disaster. Perhaps I'd do well to follow my own rules and be honest with him. Obviously, I couldn't handle what we were doing, but we'd been friends long enough that hopefully the awkwardness wouldn't linger too long after I explained to him that we needed to keep things physically platonic.

I sent Alice a text of reassurance, telling her I was tired but okay and that loved her too. Then I replied to Rose, promising I'd be at her house no later than seven. Last, I texted Edward, my heart skipping like a scratchy CD.

_apology accepted and I'm sry too, but u were being a jerk_

I held my phone, hoping he'd reply sooner than later. He did.

_How was I being a jerk?_

_Ur stupid comments. Anyway w/e. what about dogs, now?_

I waited, but he didn't reply. My stomach felt anxious and tense; I hated it. Grabbing my remote, I flipped the TV in my room on and snuggled deeper down beneath my comforter, determined to enjoy my lazy day.

My mother woke me up a little later. "French toast, Bella?"

Sitting up, I stretched and smiled, my grumbling tummy audible to us both. "Yes, please." I leapt out of bed and began to follow her, but she stopped me, frowning.

"Put some pants on, Edward's downstairs." She turned and continued on down the hall, leaving me feeling all funky. I backtracked over to my dresser, pulling on a pair of sweatpants, and ran a brush through my hair. I'd washed it when I came home late the night before, not wanting to sleep with seawater dampening my pillows, and now it looked like a bird's nest.

Oh, but the house smelled good as I jogged down the steps and into the kitchen. French toast was a Saturday morning tradition; my dad almost always went fishing early so it was just Mom and me. And apparently Edward, today.

"'Sup," I grunted, giving him a nod as I took my place as the counter. He was already halfway through his plate of French toast.

"I'd forgotten she makes this on Saturdays," he commented, spearing an obscenely large piece on his fork.

"Yep." I decided monosyllabic was the way to go.

He rolled his eyes at me and that's when I noticed the faint bruising around his eye. Frowning, I opened my mouth to ask, but decided against it and we ignored each other for the rest of the meal.

"I have to run into town to pick up a few things, Bella," my mother announced, drying her hands on a dishtowel. "You don't need anything, do you?"

I shook my head, carrying my empty plate over to the sink. "No mom, thanks. This was awesome, by the way."

She grinned, kissing my cheek. "Sure, honey. See you later Edward."

That was how close Edward and I had always been; my own mother had no qualms about leaving us alone together in the house.

"Bye, Renee," he called, waving as she left.

"You done with this?" I huffed, picking up his plate.

He nodded, sitting back in his chair.

"What the hell happened to your eye?" I asked, rinsing the plates before sticking them inside the dishwasher.

"Jacob Black happened," he said dryly, draining his glass of orange juice.

"Oh, that's what you meant by calling off the dogs," I said, trying not to smile. Too bad I'd missed that.

He watched wordlessly as I wiped syrup from his placemat and mine. Tossing the rag in the sink, I turned on my heel and started back upstairs.

"Come on," he griped. I heard him slide his chair back.

He followed me into my room, shutting the door and locking it.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, my eyebrows disappearing into my hairline.

"What's with the games?" he asked, coming toward me.

"No, seriously. We're not doing that anymore. Obviously it…it doesn't work."

"Is this about Jacob?" he asked.

"No, stupid, it's about you. And me."

"What about you and me?"

Scowling, I sat on my bed. "That's exactly what I mean. We make out, and then act like nothing happened. That's fine for you, but it's making me feel weird. I can't turn my feelings on and off like a faucet."

He climbed on to my bed, kicking his shoes off. "I don't turn them on and off."

"Yes, you do. At least, you act like it."

He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So complicated."

"Then go," I snapped, folding my arms.

He sat up, pushing me so I was lying flat, pulling me further onto the mattress so my legs were off the ground. "I don't want to go."

He tried to pry my arms apart, but I kept them closed. "I'm not kissing you."

"Why not?" he gave up on my arms and buried his face in my neck, sucking on my skin.

The feeling went straight through me, culminating in a tingly ache between my legs. I tried to push him off, but he pinned my arms down, shifting so he hovered over me.

"I'm sorry," he said seriously. "For last night. You just make me so…mad sometimes."

"I know the feeling," I said, a little too breathlessly.

His eyes trailed down, away from my eyes, to my mouth, and then my chest. He grinned slyly. "No bra?"

"I was in bed, Edward," I retorted, feeling my face turn red.

"Mmm," he hummed, looking into my eyes again. "Can I kiss 'em?"

"No."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Oh, you're asking now?"

"Yeah."

"No."

He came in to kiss me anyway, but I turned my head... even though the scent of syrup and him was making me gooey inside.

"Stop it," I begged, wanting him to do anything but stop.

"What do you want?" he asked, releasing my hands but not moving.

"For things to be normal between us," I said, my heart racing.

"I don't want them to be normal," he said, staring at my mouth. He pressed closer, bringing all of him into contact with all of me.

I relaxed my legs, and then, without thinking, wrapped them around him.


	18. Chapter 18: Waterfalls

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M

Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Alabaster"

_Disclaimer__: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

Prompt: waterfalls, piece, dedicate, droplets

* * *

Bella was prepared to see Edward soon after she moved back from Seattle. It wasn't that she _wanted_ to per se; she just knew that she would. Her recent foray off into the big city didn't change the fact that she and her ex shared the same friends, and they had since junior high.

Inevitably, they'd all end up at someone's house, a restaurant or the coffee shop, and she needed to be ready for that. She didn't want to be reduced to forced smiles and awkward attempts at conversation.

It had been that way in the end, right before Bella left town. The angry energy had all but dissipated, and what was left was almost worst. Edward and Bella, who had been joined at the hip for years, suddenly didn't know what to talk about.

The proverbial elephant had never left the room.

But it had been a little over six months now, and Bella felt she had healed some. She still wasn't sure she fully trusted Edward, even though a very big piece of her heart begged her to, and if she thought too long about things, hurt would dig its way into her like splinters in bare feet. Despite all of that, Bella recognized that what they'd had once was special, and if fate favored reconciliation who was she to deny that?

Her first week back was devoted to securing her old job at the preschool and settling in at her father's house. She'd been embarrassed to even ask him for her old room – albeit temporarily – but Rose had insisted she do so until she located the "perfect" place for Bella. She assured her it would only take a few weeks, and that she just wouldn't feel right letting her best friend move into a subpar apartment simply because it was _convenient_. Still, Bella hadn't lived under her parent's roof since before college. It felt…weird.

The snow had melted the week before, leaving Forks crisp and clean. It wouldn't be spring for another two weeks, but every so often Bella caught a glimpse of new grass or a tiny explosion of colorful flowers. Even the beaches at La Push, absolutely frigid at this time of year with wind that would be the soul right out of you, sparkled with a bare beauty that left Bella breathless. It had taken leaving to realize this was where she truly belonged.

So it was with a hopeful heart but an anxious stomach one night that Bella drove to meet her friends at one of their favorite haunts downtown; a mellow little pool hall where they'd spent many a night cavorting and shooting pool. It wasn't nearly as shabby as it sounded, having been bought out and revamped several years before by a new family in town. There was even a swanky little lounge in the back, complete with suede sofas and coffee tables, perfect for kicking back and conversation.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. She heard Emmett before she saw him, chuckling as he walked over.

"Bella!" he said, hugging her so tight he picked her up off the ground.

"Hi, Em," she squealed, hugging him back just as hard. "What's up?"

"I should be asking you that, City Girl," he teased, setting her done.

Bella hit his arm. "Oh, shut up. Where're you guys sitting?"

Emmett led her over to a table in the back, and Bella was immediately re-absorbed into the circle, complete with exuberant hugs and kisses. Bella noticed that Edward wasn't there, and she was surprised at how much that disappointed her.

A couple of hours and many beers later, Rose watched Bella turn her face toward the door yet again. She'd done it every time someone came in, and it was painfully obvious who she was waiting to see.

"Bella," she said, tapping her fingers against Bella's arm.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

Bella gave Rose a look. "I'm fine."

Rose nodded, swigging down the rest of her cider. "Mm. Because you've been watching the door like a hawk."

Bella blushed, looking down. She wouldn't try to deny it; Rose and Alice almost knew her better than she knew herself.

"He doesn't come out as much as he used to," Rose said, tracing droplets of condensation down the side of her pint glass. "He's been…busy."

"Doing what?" Bella frowned, slightly worried. She didn't make it a practice of asking usually, but whenever Edward came up lately both Alice and Rose seemed to skirt the issue. It was starting to really bother her; was he seeing someone else?

Surely their friends would tell her, right?

"He has a project going that requires a lot of his time. It's pretty neat actually – I'm sure you'll get to see it soon," Rose replied, smiling.

"Is it a secret or something?" Bella huffed, irritated at being so out of the loop. "Why haven't I heard about it yet?"

Rose shrugged. "Nah, it's just…special to Edward. Chill out, you'll see it soon enough."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Okay, well, I think I'm gonna go anyway. I'm a little tired."

"Don't be pissy," Rose admonished.

"I'm not! I'm just worn out," Bella said, yawning for effect.

Rose set her glass down and gave her a one-armed hug. "Only cuz we're doing lunch. Don't forget."

"I won't forget."

Alice sashayed over, pouting when Bella stood up. "You're not leaving already, are you?"

Bella tried to appease her with a kiss on the cheek. "I'm tired, Al. We're hanging out tomorrow, though, right?"

"Okay," she relented. "At least let Jasper walk you to your car."

The night air was chilly, and Bella tightened her coat around her body. She bid Jasper goodbye once he'd brought her to her truck, giving him a hug as she slid into the front seat. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard as she started the engine, she was surprised to see it really wasn't that late.

Nagged by a sudden hankering for Ben n' Jerry's, she dashed over to the supermarket before it closed.

Mmm…the possibilities were endless. Was she in the mood for Phish Food or Cherry Garcia? One of the Half Baked combinations or something classic like Vanilla Swiss Almond? Whirled Peace or-

"Bella?"

Bella spun around, immediately recognizing Edward's voice. "Hey…"

"Late night snacking?" he teased, nodding toward the ice cream case behind her.

"Yeah, kind of…I was out with the others," she said tentatively.

"Oh. You look great, Bella," Edward said, smiling softly.

Bella's heart squeezed. "Thanks," she whispered, averting her eyes.

They stood awkwardly in the aisle until Bella turned to once again reach into the freezer. "I think it's a Dublin Mudslide Night."

Edward grinned. "Well, some things never change."

They started toward the front of the store. "Were you going to get ice cream?" Bella asked, noticing he hadn't gotten any despite being in that aisle.

"Er, no. I just, um…saw you and wanted to say hi," he said.

They made small talk while going through checkout, neither one wanting to leave the other but not knowing how to express it, or if it was even okay to feel that way.

"So, I heard you're like…working on something?" Bella asked once they were standing outside, shivering.

Edward's cheeks turned pink. "You could say that," he laughed nervously.

"Well, do I get to see it too, or…"

"You'll be the first to see the finished product," he said seriously, the intensity in his eyes doing funny things to her insides.

"Oh! Okay," Bella said. "Well, I can't wait - the suspense is killing me. Al and Rose keep making little comments about it…"

He shook his head ruefully. "Yeah, I dedicate more time to the project than to hanging out lately, so they tease me endlessly."

A gust of wind blew through, making her shiver.

"Are you parked nearby? I'll walk you," Edward offered.

"I'm right here," Bella said reluctantly. Edward took a chance and gave her a hug, surprised when she responded by hugging him back.

He decided to take another chance…Bella hadn't been this responsive toward him in months. This felt almost like their early days of dating, when everything was new and uncertain.

"Bella, wait."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Do you want to hang out?"

"Now?"

"Yeah."

Bella shrugged. "Um, what did you have in mind?"

"When was the last time you went to the old bridge by the waterfall?" he asked, biting back a smile.

It was Bella's turn to blush. "It was with you," she said quietly.

"I know it's cold, but I have blankets. Do you want to go?"

Bella gazed at him, allowing herself to be affected by how gorgeous he was. "To do what, Edward?"

"To talk."


	19. Chapter 19: Argyle

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M  
Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic"  
Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Prompt: Argyle

* * *

Monday morning was overcast and cool, a sharp contrast to the interlude of Indian summer heat we'd been experiencing for the past couple of weeks. I pulled a sweater on over my shirt, and reluctantly traded my flip-flops for sneakers. Looked like fall was coming in with a vengeance, chasing the remnants of summer away the way our dog Twinkie used to chase the mail truck down the street – aggressively.

Saturday had ended up being a lot more physical than I'd ever meant it to be. I knew that if I was going to play cool it in school on Monday, I needed to come to some sort of decision as to what I wanted out of this arrangement with Edward. Could I be the type of girl who kept her emotions at bay while she fooled around? Probably not. To think I could was ridiculous.

I let Edward hit second base before kicking him out. We weren't going to go any further than a boob grope or two and I didn't want to encourage him, so he had to go. I was way too attracted to him, and too sexually frustrated, to allow us to pass the point of no return. Kissing and touching were one thing… below the waist shenanigans were another. I wasn't ready for that.

Sunday had been, thankfully, an Edward-less day. I'd spent it reading, doing homework, and avoiding Jacob's texts. That made me feel sort of guilty… poor guy never did anything but like me. And, until Waterbed-Gate, I'd liked him too. Regardless of what happened now with Edward, things were probably never going to progress with Jake and I needed to buck up and tell him so.

The school week began again before I was really ready, and I drove myself to Forks High wondering what version of Edward I would encounter. I didn't see him until third period, when he and I had English Lit together. My attraction to him was slowly but surely evolving into an actual crush. This terrified me. I hadn't had a real crush since eighth grade and now I had one on a close friend. He slipped into class seconds after the second bell rang, looking terribly appealing in loose, dark jeans and an argyle hoodie. I realized I'd always liked that preppy, ridiculous hoodie on him, even from before. He rocked it like nobody's business.

He quickly dropped into a seat next to Emmett, not even sparing me a glance. A month ago, I wouldn't have even been paying attention to care if he said hello or noticed me. Now it made my stomach hurt.

Ugh.

Despite the foreboding cloud cover, it had yet to rain. As usual, Alice, Rose and I went outside to eat in the quad along with the majority of the student body. No one wanted to spend any more time indoors than they had to, and we all knew to take advantage of the rain-less-ness while it lasted. Em, Jasper and Edward were tossing a football around, goofing around more than anything. I sat down on the grass, leaning against a tree, and proceeded to open my brown paper bag.

Edward strolled over and sat down, placing his head in my lap.

"Hey," he said, his eyes a similar green to the granny smith apple he was eating.

"Hey yourself," I smiled, fighting the urge to run my fingers through his hair…which I knew from experience was so extremely soft.

"Does your mom ever make you those peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches anymore?"

I made a face. "You're still interested in marshmallow after Friday?"

He paused before realization hit, and then he laughed. "I guess…"

"Yeah, she makes 'em sometimes. Why, you wanna trade?" I shook my head; trading sandwiches and snacks had been the thing to do back in the day. It had been a while.

"You have one?" he asked, looking surprised.

"No."

He frowned. "You suck."

Lauren Mallory appeared. I glanced up at her, smiling politely.

"Hi, Bella. Edward, can I talk to you?" she said, her own smile decidedly acerbic.

"Okaaay," he sighed, jumping up. Lauren spun around and started walking; Edward followed, not even bothering to wipe the grass off his behind.

Not wanting to really pay attention to them, I turned to Alice and Rose, who were bickering about the lyrics to a song we'd all gotten into recently.

By the time Edward returned, I'd finished my turkey and cheese sandwich and cherry coke zero.

"What was that all about?" I asked curiously, noticing that Lauren had looked pretty irate walking away from Edward.

He shrugged, sitting on the grass in front of me this time. "She wanted to know why I haven't been returning her calls."

"Why haven't you?"

He shrugged again.

I rooted around in my backpack, looking for gum.

"She asked if we were friends with benefits, " he continued, lifting his hands to make quote marks with his fingers.

"What did you say?"

He pulled a tuft of grass out of the ground. "I said I didn't know but I didn't want to hang out with her anymore."

"Hmm," I intoned, finding an unopened pack of cinnamon gum. "Want a piece?"

"Sure."

"Was she pissed?" I asked nonchalantly, not really looking him the eye.

"She said I was an ass."

"You _are_ an ass," I snickered, standing up.

"I'm coming over tonight," he informed me as we walked back toward the school building.

"For what?" My face heated up, thinking of all that kissing…

"The bio lab?" he said, rolling his eyes. "Due tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah. Okay, I'll see you later then," I said, turning to go in the opposite direction.

Halfway to class it occurred to me.

Edward and I didn't even have a lab due.


	20. Chapter 20: Popular Opinion

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T

**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "**Celestial**"

_Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt**: Write a story, poem, or drabble about your character going against popular opinion.

* * *

Whenever the house cook, Celia, went down to the market to purchase bread for breakfast or meat and vegetables for dinner, Isabella tagged along. She had learned early on that the Cullen family was in fact as kind as the rumors purported, and they didn't seem to pay much attention to what she did or didn't do. She'd always been well-behaved –her mother would've punished her otherwise – so manners and proper decorum weren't an issue for her.

Because Renee spent most of her days sewing and mending, or going down to the fabric stores with the housekeepers or even Mrs. Esme Cullen herself, Isabella was usually left to her own devices. Going to the market or the butcher was the highlight of her day because she got to see the bustling city of Charleston up close in all of its urban splendor.

She'd walk beside Celia, asking questions about the people, shops, houses and buildings she saw, hungry for any morsels of information she could glean concerning her new hometown.

So when Edward apprehended her one muggy September morning while she was fastening her bonnet and asked if he could accompany her out, she was quite shocked.

She hadn't seen very much of the young Mr. Cullen since she and her mother had moved into his family's home. Their night of stargazing and quiet chatter had been wonderful, but it had never happened again. Isabella went out to the small bench in the garden at least once a week to sit and think, pray and appreciate the constellations, but Edward did not return to join her. During the day time he was usually being tutored down at the nearby schoolhouse or out on hunting trips with his father and uncles. When Isabella did manage to see him, it was fleeting.

These rare glances only intrigued her, and she found herself thinking about him more and more. He was terribly handsome, even more so than Peter back home. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. For one thing, even though she now suspected she'd never see Peter again, she _had _promised him her heart. For another, Edward was her master's son; there was no way she could ever be with him, even if she was able to catch his eye.

And she was quite sure she hadn't…until that humid Friday morning.

Edward and Isabella walked silently side by side, about a step behind Celia, who looked upon their awkward, wordless rapport with great inner amusement. She pretended to be stern, letting them know non-verbally that she was watching them, but really she thought it would be interesting to see how it all played out. Young Isabella was so red she looked sunburnt and Edward kept fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt.

Celia also knew from experience what these youthful souls had not yet experienced for themselves; the society people and townsfolk in general would certainly frown upon their companionship. The Cullens were well known in town as one of the oldest establishing settling families. Their ancestors had been of the first to come to the colonies decades before. Mr. Cullen was a successful doctor; he was adored for not only his good name and handsome charm, but for his compassion and skill. Esme was a favorite in social circles in town. She volunteered constantly and had never been afraid to mingle within any and every social class.

This was not a popular thing to do, unfortunately, but no one could find fault with her. By her infectious personality and propensity to reach out even to the snobbiest of people, she was accepted time and time again. People naturally loved her.

Perhaps her son had inherited her tendency to follow her heart, because there he was, easing closer and closer to Isabella Swan, an indentured servant, a fresh-off-the-boat Irish _nobody_ who likely couldn't even read.

Celia smiled; it was precious at this point. She made sure to keep an eye on the twosome, nervous about the sort of reception they would encounter.

Sure enough, Isabella was more than once viewed with disdain that morning. She hadn't any idea why…other than her status as a lower class citizen, but that she was used to. The looks and stares seemed worse today. She never would have guessed that being with one of the finest young men in town would make her look bad.

Even Edward was treated to more chilly greetings than he'd ever experienced. He, however, knew _exactly_ what the problem was, and made sure to place his hand on the small of Isabella's back from time to time, letting her know that he was there.

And letting the busybodies flitting about that he didn't care what they thought.

He had noticed her, more than she realized. Whenever she snuck outside at night he watched her from his window, from behind the curtains where he knew she'd never see. He was out for most of the day, true, but when he came home he thought about her, wishing she would appear from whichever part of the house she was hiding. He wanted to engage in conversation, he just never knew what to say. She wasn't that educated, but she was surprisingly smart. He'd greatly enjoyed their conversation that one evening in the garden.

Something about her had fascinated him from day one, and he didn't care if the stuffy old hens around town took issue with that. He would get to know her.


	21. Chapter 21: Grim Reaper

**Penname**: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
**Rating/Warnin****g(s): M**  
**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Finger Food". (As always, not beta-ed, let me know if you see errors.)

**_Disclaimer_**_: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt**: Grim Reaper

* * *

Bella knew who Edward was for an entire year before they introduced themselves to one another at the Volturi's annual soiree.

The summer after she and her friend Charlotte completed high school, they went on a trip with a group of kids from their graduating class. They hit up France, Greece and Italy, deciding to devote a substantial amount of time to discovering some of the lesser known Italian towns. Charlotte, who had always had a healthy fascination with folklore, had read up on a little town in the countryside called Volterra that was supposed to be rich with legends concerning "the Cold Ones", and she wanted to go and see it for herself.

The girls split off from the rest of their group upon reaching Italy, and for that week they had more fun than they'd ever imagined possible. By the time they made it to Volterra and settled into their rustic little bed and breakfast, Bella was exhausted – although in a very good way.

Charlotte ventured out early one morning to pick up bread and coffee for breakfast. She woke Bella when she came back, bubbling over with excitement because she'd been invited to some sort of formal; a ball or a gala or something. Bella was slightly miffed because while she was welcome to go as well, she hadn't any fancy dresses. She was also actually feeling slightly under the weather, and just the thought of being out late made her feel worse. However, she couldn't begrudge Charlotte for wanting to attend, and she did all she could to help her get ready.

Bella had fallen asleep with a book in her lap when her friend came home in the middle of the night sobbing and completely inebriated. Apparently she'd been snubbed by "the man of her dreams". As Bella listened to her sniffles and drunken lamentations, she scrolled through the images that were on Charlotte's camera. It seemed as though Charlotte had been taking pictures – as in, practically stalking - some guy named Edward. He'd had little interest on her, choosing to leave with another girl.

As Bella gazed at the face on the camera, Charlotte's blubbering faded into the background. All she could think about was how beautiful this man was…unearthly beautiful. Bella could certainly see why her friend would be so distraught, although Charlotte did have a penchant for histrionics.

Once they returned to the States, Charlotte deleted the pictures, saying she didn't need reminders of how ridiculous she'd behaved that evening. Bella didn't mind though; she didn't need digital files to help her recall his perfection. Edward's face flickered through her mind almost all the time, most especially late at night when she touched herself.

She even imagined him when Mike had gotten her to go all the way, and every time after.

When her first year of college came to a close, Bella packed up and returned to Italy – alone. She read up on Volterra and its history, even found a couple of vague articles in the society pages of the ritzier magazines detailing the parties, which were apparently held by one of the town's oldest and wealthiest families.

She was determined to be invited.

She was determined to find that beautiful man.

She was determined to make him want her.

Bella was a casual girl, but she knew how to amp up her sex appeal. In Volterra, she wore innocently sexy outfits while out sight-seeing, making sure her hair and makeup were always perfect. This was somewhat a departure from the version of herself that lived in Washington.

It didn't take long for Bella to be noticed. The compliments frustrated her though; none of them mattered because none of them got her any closer to Edward.

As she strolled back to the inn on the third night, to the same bed and breakfast she'd stayed at the year before with Charlotte, a tall, handsome blonde man approached her, asking her if she was enjoying her stay. They chatted for a moment, and then he handed her a card, explaining it was an invitation to a very private, very select get together. It was formal dress, directions to the venue printed elegantly on the back.

Bella was beyond thrilled, but she managed to maintain a façade of polite calm, nodding and thanking the gorgeous gentleman as he left.

According to the invitation, the ball was being held at an actual castle, and Bella knew right where it was; she'd seen it both times she'd arrived to Volterra.

Bella took a very long bath in her room, making sure to shave her legs and paint her nails with a sparkly blood red polish. She put on the black satin dress she'd purchased for this very occasion, applied makeup and perfume, and styled her hair. She walked over to the Volturi's castle and flashed her card to the guards at the entrance.

Once inside, though, she began to second guess herself. What the hell had she been _thinking_? She knew no one, and no one tried to make conversation as she wandered from room to room. She was keenly aware of all the male attention that she was getting, but there was only one set of eyes she wanted on her, and it was nowhere to be seen.

She ended up on the top floor, where a little group of guests was standing around, gazing out at the maze in the front yard. There was a well stocked table of hors d'oeuvres, and Bella figured she might as well eat some free food before returning to the inn where she could berate herself on her epic stupidity.

_Caviar or escargot? Eenie, meenie, miney, mo…_

"Hungry?" a voice asked, smooth like silk.

Bella looked up and nearly died inside even though she managed to look nonplussed.

It was him, it was _Edward._ He'd approached her, just as she'd always fantasized. As they exchanged flirtatious looks and words laced with double meanings, Bella found herself growing more and more aroused. She wanted him, in any capacity, and so she led him to a vacant room.

Edward seemed just as smitten with her as she was with him, but she wasn't naïve. She knew what he was after and frankly, she was after it too. She didn't know what it was about him that caused her to feel this way.

It was as if he emitted some sort of scent that made her wild, carnal.

It wasn't until she ran her fingers through his hair and let him touch her that the warning bells rang faintly in her mind. She'd known from before something was off because of his eyes, but she'd assumed it was all part of his costume, his look. She'd seen it on other people too, even girls.

He ran his nose along her neck, and, heart racing, Bella closed her eyes. She saw all of the books and articles she'd read fly past her mind's eye.

And then, she just knew.

He didn't look like other boys, and he certainly didn't act like it.

"Edward," she breathed shakily.

"Hmm?" he licked the tops of her breasts, thrilling at her shivers.

She tickled her fingers along his scalp, lowering her lips to his ears. "I know what you are."

He paused, raising his eyes to hers and planting his hands on the wall, effectively pinning her in.

"And what's that?" he asked, practically purring.

"The Grim Reaper," she smiled, arching an eyebrow. Edward smiled slyly.

"You could say that." He returned to her neck, drunk off of how good she smelled, knowing in turn he smelled just as delectable to her.

He sucked at her pulse point, his tongue driving her into a mild frenzy, and undid his pants before moving her scrap of a panty off to the side.

Bella was breathless, literally; she felt as though she couldn't breathe well.

"Is this what you want?" he murmured, his cock very hard and very ready and pushing her thighs apart. It didn't matter if she did or not…

She groaned as he entered her and winced as his teeth began to pierce the skin at her neck.

"Don't kill me," she whispered suddenly.

Edward gave himself over to the twin lusts, holding Bella's body closer and closer to his own as he worked her.

"Edward," she said again, her hands fisted in his hair. "Don't…just…"

"Perfect," he moaned mindlessly, euphoric.

"Make me like you," she sighed, her request hardly audible as she began to lose life.

Edward's eyes snapped open and he let go of her neck roughly, both repelled and attracted by her request. His hips stilled and he gazed at her, stunned. "What?"

"…like you…" she rasped, her arms starting to slip off of his shoulders.

He pulled out and dropped to his knees, carefully setting her limp body to the carpet before tucking himself back into his pants. He had just barely stopped in time; a few more seconds and he'd have drained enough of her blood that her little "Grim Reaper" joke would have been true.

Now she was lying in a heap on the ground, barely breathing.

What the hell was he going to do with her now? He could keep drinking, but she'd asked him to …_change_ her. She wasn't like the others, who bucked wildly against him as he screwed them against walls, floors, windows, and then hissed and scratched as he drank them dry. No, Bella had gone into it rather gracefully.

Damn it.

He'd have to get her out of the castle, he supposed, before the Volturi themselves caught wind of it.

Bella whimpered and gasped, her body starting to tremble.

It was now or never. The change had commenced.


	22. Chapter 22: Racehorse

**Penname**: Rochelle Allison  
**Derivative Fiction**  
**Rating/Warning(s): M**

**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic"

**_Disclaimer_**_: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompt:** racehorse, blue, progressive, pewter.

* * *

"I have to piss like a racehorse," Edward moaned, making a hideous face that I assumed was massive discomfort.

"Then go pee, jeez," I said, pursing my lips in annoyance.

I knew I should have just followed my instincts. Earlier, at school, when Edward had mentioned our lab and I'd then realized we _had_ no lab… well, I'd suspected he might be trying to run game on me.

To be fair, there was the vague possibility that he'd genuinely confused the lab dates – they were due every second and fourth Friday; this was the third Friday of the month.

But more likely, he knew and was counting on me not knowing so he could mess with me. It was becoming more and more apparent that Edward maybe/actually… liked me. He was starting to return the very feelings he'd been so cavalier about before, and he didn't know what to do about it. Why else would he harass me this way? Were there no other girls he could fool around with?

Edward stumbled to my bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He was drunk. On a school night. I was knee deep in history homework when he came over with a backpack full of liquor instead of text books.

I managed to scrawl a conclusion to my history assignment and was shoving the notebook back into my bag when he came out of the bathroom.

"So, you ready Bella?" he asked, sexy in a sloppy way.

"For what?" I asked, frowning.

He pulled two bottles out of his bag; Vanilla flavored rum and Hypnotiq, and held them out.

"Which one do you want to start with?" he asked, shaking the bottles.

"First of all, I can't believe _that's_ what you have in your school bag. And second, I'm not drinking anything the color of toilet-cleaner-blue," I said, nodding toward the Hypnotiq.

"So vanilla it is," he mumbled, twisting the cap off. He took an unnecessary swig and handed me the almost full bottle.

I took a couple of sips, albeit much smaller ones, before re-capping the bottle and setting it down on my carpet. "So…I thought we had a lab to do tonight."

Edward had the decency to look sheepish. "Um, I thought we did, but apparently we don't, so…"

"So you thought it would be okay to just come over anyway?"

He made a face. "What's the big deal? I've always just come over."

"That was before. Now it's just…weird."

"Back to this crap again?" Edward puffed, scowling. "I think things have been pretty progressive lately."

"Like how?" I wanted to know. "Like you telling Lauren you don't know what the deal is but you don't want to hang out with her? And then telling me you don't know what the deal s but you _do_ want to hang out with me?"

A slow smile spread across his face, reminding me of butter sliding across warm pancakes.

"Yuck," I said, standing. "I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

"Cut the emo crap, Bella," he snapped suddenly, getting up also. "I'm the same person I've always been; you're just seeing another side."

"Same thing," I muttered, folding my arms across my chest.

Edward's eyes fell on a pair of pewter frames on top of my nightstand. Alice, Rose and I were in one, squished into the back seat of Jasper's car. Edward and I were in the other. We'd been at a concert two summers before, and he'd hoisted me onto his shoulders so I could see better. There had never been a lick of chemistry before, nothing, never. Just a good old fashioned friendship.

He grinned, picking up the picture and studying it for a few moments. "I'd just gotten my braces off," he mused, shaking his head.

"Mhm," I nodded, feeling my heart soften again. "Good times."

"I'm still him and you're still her," he said quietly, replacing the frame to its spot.

"I know, but we're different now together. Anyway, I'm kind of tired of talking about it," I sighed, sitting at my desk.

"I thought you wanted to talk about it," he said, wrinkling his forehead.

"I do, I mean… I do, but we're going in circles," I said, rubbing my eyes. Something tickled my knee and I looked down, my stomach tingling when I saw that Edward was kneeling in front of me.

"Let's go for it," he said, his eyes sort of sparkling. I had old Christmas lights strung up around my room all year 'round and they were reflecting in his eyes, making them flicker.

My stomach tingled more, tightening into an excited, tense knot. "You mean like, be together?"

"Yeah," he shrugged, inching forward so that he was between my knees, his arms resting on my thighs.

"Okay," I said, running my fingers uncertainly through his messy hair. "Are you going to remember this conversation tomorrow?"

"I'm not that drunk, Bella. Speaking of which, have some more," he twisted away so he could grab the bottle of vanilla rum.

"Why are we doing this on a school night with my parents downstairs?" I whispered, taking several small sips. It really was my favorite; so sweet and yummy.

"Didn't you finish your homework?" he asked instead, standing and pulling me up with him. Nodding, I put the cap back on.

We tumbled on to my bed, the bottle rolling to the floor.

"Shh," I giggled, hoping my mother wasn't still downstairs to hear the thump the bottle had made.

Edward kissed me slowly, licking his sweet-like-vanilla tongue over my tongue. One of his hands snuck to the hem of my cut offs and started snaking its way up. I gasped when his fingers slipped beneath my underwear; he'd made it there so quickly…

I let myself go, not caring about anything but Edward's fingers, rubbing me, slipping and sliding and making me squirm. Our kisses became hot and desperate and messy and wet, and I moved my hands from his hair so I could slide them under his shirt.

He touched me until I came and then withdrew his hand, fisting it near my head. "Not gonna lie," he said quietly, breathing almost as heavily as I was. "I want to be in there."

I nodded, coming down and trembly.

"Edward?"

He gazed down at me, his eyes going from my eyes to my mouth and back to my eyes. "Yeah?"

"I'm not a plaything, okay?"

He frowned, shifting so he was next to me. "I know..."

"Do you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I do."

"I'm not like you. I can't handle this if it goes further and you're not...into it. Don't hurt me like that," I whispered.

It was strange; I could almost see it flash across his face...what I'd been trying to tell him. That we were in a different place now, that yes, we had crossed a line and he couldn't really keep jumping back and forth across it.

He smiled a little. "I'm into it."


	23. Chapter 23: Fishnets

**Penname**: Rochelle Allison  
**Derivative Fiction**  
**Rating/Warning**(s): M  
**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Alabaster"  
_Disclaimer_: _All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompts**: fishnet, aged, stairs, water, oak

* * *

"So what did you guys talk about it?" Emmett asked, carefully placing a newly sanded oak banister onto the ground. He'd opted to spend his Sunday helping Edward with the house, and was currently assisting one of the carpenters with some of the smaller jobs.

The house was near completion. Edward had spent a huge chunk of his savings on it, paying special attention to some of the more minor details and going for the upgrades he found appealing. He'd also shelled out a pretty penny for the builders to finish ahead of schedule if possible, and they been able to oblige. The way things were going, the house would be completed a month early.

Each day after work, Edward went straight to the site. He'd walk around, examining the progress being made, and then ask Peter or Marcus, the two men overseeing construction, if there was anywhere he could assist. By this point pretty much everyone knew Edward and Bella's story and that he was building her a house in the hopes of winning her back.

Edward sat on the bottom step of his newly carpeted stairs, wiping the back of his hand across his brow.

"We talked about everything; except for…you know…what happened. It was almost like we were on a first date…"

"That's cool, I guess," Emmett shrugged, catching sight of Rosie through the window as she parked at the end of the driveway. "It's water under the bridge anyway…get? Water – "

"Yeah, yeah," Edward rolled his eyes at his friend's corny antics. They were discussing a few nights prior when he'd taken Bella to the bridge by the waterfall. Edward knew he wouldn't be able to fix everything in one night – or fix at all, ever – but he felt that they'd made s much headway. They were slowly but surely crawling back to the place they'd been before, but even better.

Despite the two heavy blankets Edward had wrapped himself and Bella in, after about an hour her shivers became violent and they called it a night. Still, when they hugged by their cars and parted ways, Edward felt warmer inside than he'd felt in some time. Bella had even given him one of her many tubes of chapstick so his lips wouldn't be so cracked and sore.

Rose knocked on the open door, smiling when she saw her husband and his brother sitting and talking on the floor. "Hey guys, how's it coming along?"

"Pretty perfectly," Edward responded.

Emmett stood to kiss Rose, eyeing her fine fishnet stockings as he rose. "Baby, tell me you were doing house tours today."

She nodded. "Yeah, so?"

"So every frigging pervert in Forks was fantasizing about your legs today while you were pointing out cabinets and shelf space, " he complained, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, I rented out two townhouses and sold a larger property. So obviously, the fishnets work," she retorted smugly, kissing his chin.

Edward stayed seated, enviously regarding the banter between Emmett and Rose, recalling a time when he'd had someone to be that way around.

"Anyway, I'm glad it's all coming together. It's getting harder and harder to hold off Bella. She wants to move out of her parent's house and settle down someplace," she remarked, pulling Edward out of his melancholy.

"So I'm still thinking I'll go ahead and do the wine and cheese party as a housewarming," Edward said. "I can show her around afterward, let her see more detail."

"We're rooting for ya, Edward," Rose smiled. "I hope Bella loves this place as much as you. The past few months have aged her a little…you two need to work this out so things won't be awkward. We can have our old group dynamic back."

Edward nodded, stretching his sore, aching back. Never in his life had he done so much labor-intensive work.

Or heart-intensive.


	24. Chapter 24: Testosterone

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M  
Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic"  
Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
Prompts: testosterone

** i know this is much, much shorter than usual (drabble length), but it's Christmas Eve day and I am way too busy. This is also why "Volition" will be updating early next week instead of tonight. Lots of love to you guys!!

* * *

Ever since I'd let Edward put his hands in my pants, he'd been making overtures to go further. It had become a joke between us now; his antics usually making me laugh. I doubt that was his intent, but nonetheless, it was amusing.

He'd been behaving himself as well, limiting his flirting. Frankly, I didn't care who he flirted with and I told him so…as long as he wasn't, like, messing around. I just couldn't do that. If I was going to be that way with Edward, we need to keep things between us. Sharing is gross.

Edward scooted back and forth rowdily on the waterbed, making waves.

"You have way too much fun with this thing," I laughed, my belly sloshing with the soda I'd just drunk.

"I really do," he agreed, plopping down beside me. He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me on top of him. "But we could have so much more fun…"

"You obviously have too much testosterone coursing through your veins. I don't think I've ever met anyone as horny as you."

He nodded, smiling serenely. "That's probably true." He rocked his hips up a little, grinding suggestively into me. "So, today?"

"No, not today." I wasn't sure why I was stalling. Maybe because then that would _really_ be the point of no return.

"When?" he toyed with the hem of my tank top.

Leaning down, I kissed the corner of his mouth. He smelled really, really good. "Saturday."


	25. Chapter 25: Christmas

**Penname**: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): T  
**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Celestial"  
_**Disclaimer**: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._  
**Prompt**:Christmas

_** i recently signed up for this fun little question & answer deal called formspring. if you guys have anything you'd to ask me (and i mean anything), come check it out... http://www(dot)formspring(dot)me/RochelleAllison_

* * *

Isabella yawned, sitting on the edge of the narrow, cozy bed she shared with her mother. It had been a long, but pleasant day and sleep was calling to her now.

Christmas had always been her favorite time of year, regardless of whatever else was going on in her life. This holiday season in particular was difficult, as it was the first one she'd spent away from home and without her father.

Renee had done her best to make the day special for her daughter, a sentiment Isabelle greatly appreciated. They had always been close, but tragedy and change had brought them even closer and for that neither Renee nor Isabella could complain. They were blessed, even amidst their trials and struggles.

Renee had arisen early that morning, allowing Isabella to sleep late while she went to assist the cooks and housekeepers. Because of the holiday, breakfast was a more involved matter than usual but still somewhat simple; the real feast was to come after the Cullen family attended Christmas service at their Lutheran church downtown. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen encouraged their household help, including the indentured servants, to attend whatever place of worship they so chose. Renee and Isabella went to mass at a local Catholic church and then returned home to continue preparing the huge meal that would be served later in the afternoon.

Renee had made Bella a simple, but pretty, light green dress to wear for the day. It was more detailed than the plain, neutrally colored frocks she wore usually, while still practical enough to do housework in. Mr. Cullen's sister, her husband and their two teenage children came for dinner and to spend the remainder of the day celebrating as a family.

Isabella thought Mr. Cullen's family was pleasant enough, but she burned with jealousy because now Edward had other young people to spend his time with. Her innocent fantasies of sitting outside, underneath the stars, chatting quietly, fizzled as she watched Edward's cousins, a boy and a girl around his age, engage him in conversation.

Over the past few months Edward and Isabella had grown quite close. He told her all about life in Charleston and the history of the colonies; she shared with him stories of Ireland, and what it had been like to grow up there. He was slowly teaching her to read, she was slowly teaching him Gaelic – although she had no idea why he'd ever want to learn. It wasn't as if anyone spoke it in America, unless one counted other Irish immigrants, and they were too busy trying to assimilate to bother speaking their traditional language.

Edward had explained to Isabella that his ancestors were in fact Irish, that his great great grandparents so many generations back had come over from the old country and settled in an area not too far from the current city of Charleston. He was fascinated by all aspects of his ancestry.

Isabella had been helping put away leftover food when Esme Cullen breezed into the kitchen.

"Oh, it's alright, Bella. You may go on; get some rest. The other girls can get this," she'd said gently, placing her hand on Isabella's shoulder.

"All right; thank you, Mrs. Cullen," Isabella had replied, smiling shyly as she put down the bowl she was holding. The women in the house liked her because she assisted when and where she could without being asked. The fact of the matter was, Isabella was a bit aimless; she'd been brought into the household simply to pacify her mother the day of the auction. It wasn't as if she possessed any sort of special skill that made her particularly useful, although Renee was teaching her to sew and stitch.

She'd glanced at her mother, who'd nodded and waved her off. "I'll be down in five minutes."

So now she was sitting quietly, combing her long hair and waiting for her mother to join her. All in all, it had been wonderful day. Her belly was full of good food, she'd attended a lovely mass with her mother, and she would get to sleep late again the next morning.

She'd just fallen asleep a little while later when a soft knock woke her again. Her breath caught in her throat; her mum was fast asleep beside her... who could it be? Easing carefully out of the bed and wrapping a bathrobe of sorts around her nightgown, Isabella tiptoed to the door and cracked it open.

Edward stood on the other side, looking sheepishly at Isabella. Her heart soared at the site of him, and she quickly stepped out, shutting the door behind her so her mother wouldn't wake up.

"What is it? Is everything-"

"It's fine. I do have something for you, though," he whispered, nodding toward the hall and the staircase at the end of it.

"What?" Isabella whispered back, shock and slightly panicked. She followed him down the hall and up the stairs, to his bedroom. She'd never even been near it and Edward was leading her into it as if that was appropriate, normal, even.

He seemed to sense her hesitance, because he motioned for here to join him, near the window.

"I'll leave the door open; it's alright," he coaxed.

"Oh," she said, coming closer. "What it that?" She pointed to large, cylindrical gadget next to the window.

"A telescope; it's for stargazing," he said.

"You've two of them?" Iabella asked, seeing an even larger one next to a different window.

"Yes..."

"That's amazing," she said, moving closer so she could inspect.

"I'm, um...it's for you," Edward blurted out.

Isabella spun around, her face blazing. "What?"

"It's for you. I always see you outside, looking at the night sky. I thought this might help you," he said, smiling.

Bella smiled nervously. "But this is too much, Edward. I don't have anything to give to you."

"You're my friend; that's enough," he shrugged. "Now come on, let's look through it."

"Where are your cousins?" Isabella asked casually.

"They left, Isabella, it's half past one," he responded.

"Oh! I didn't realize it was so late!" she gasped.

He shrugged. "Sorry I woke up, but I had to show this to you. I'd have shown you earlier, but my mother wouldn't allow me to leave Garrett and Irina downstairs, even for a moment."

Isabella smiled, looking at her feet.

"Merry Christmas, Edward," she said eventually, feeling warm and melted inside.

"Merry Christmas, " Edward said, adjusting the height and settings on the telescope. He was just as excited as she to share this with her, as she was to receive it.


	26. Chapter 26: Blizzard

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction

**Rating/Warning(s): M (this entry earns its rating)**

**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic"

_Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompts**:Blizzard

* * *

Alice and I were lying in my bed on Saturday afternoon, talking, when Edward showed up with two Dairy Queen Blizzards in hand. One of them was chocolate chip cookie dough, the one thing he knew I absolutely could not resist; I'd loved those things since we were kids.

He gave me my sweet treat and then leaned against the wall, staring at me over the top of his cup.

Alice smirked at me, straightening her shirt as she stood up. One of the things we'd been talking about was me and Edward and the ongoing evolution of our friendship…relationship…whatever it was at this point. She thought it made sense, that it was a natural progression, similar to how Rose was crushing on Emmett and she was jonesing for Jasper. These boys had been a part of our lives for as long as we could remember.

She zipped up her hoodie and leaned over me, kissing my cheek.

"Bye, Bella. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Ha," I snickered. "What does that leave?"

"Funny," she said, reaching up to ruffle Edward's hair on her way out. "See you guys. You coming out later?"

I glanced at Edward, wondering what he had in mind for the night.

Well, that wasn't completely true; I knew what he had in mind, what he wanted to do. What _we_ wanted to do. It was kind of funny actually, the way he and I constantly referenced it, sometimes dancing around the subject, sometimes coming right out and saying it.

After a decade and a half of being just friends, Edward and I were going to sleep together.

"What're you looking at?" I asked, my tongue already going numb from the ice cream.

He didn't answer, opting to join me in bed.

We ate quietly for awhile, licking and slurping and sighing. I finished first, setting the empty cup on my nightstand.

"Who was your first?" he asked, out of nowhere.

I folded my legs Indian style. "Peter."

"Peter?"

I nodded.

"Wait, camp counselor Peter? Peter Greene?!" he choked.

Suppressing a grin, I nodded again.

Edward shuddered. "That's disturbing."

"Oh, whatever," I laughed. "Who was _your_ first?"

"Tanya Denali."

"Tanya?" I gasped incredulously. "Garrett's girlfriend?"

Garrett was Edward's older brother. He'd been a senior when we were freshman, which meant that his hot tamale of a girlfriend, Tanya of the strawberry blonde locks and mile-long legs, had been at least four years older than Edward when she'd deflowered him.

Edward finished his Blizzard, and set it on the floor, smiling smugly. "We did it like, five times."

"I don't believe you!" I cried. "Did your brother ever find out??

He cocked his head, giving me a look. "Are you kidding me? He'd have killed me for sure. Anyway, that was back in the day. It's not like it matters now."

"Whatever you say," I chuckled, shaking my head. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Bella. You had sex with our camp counselor. He could have been arrested, dude."

"He was eighteen, I was sixteen. Not that much of a difference," I retorted, sliding off the bed. I crossed over to my closet to get a sweater. Now that I'd downed that Blizzard, I was chilled to the bone. Things like that were better consumed in the summertime, not the biting chill of autumn.

I heard my bed creak as Edward got up, too. "Sixteen? So… that was the summer before last?"

"Mhm," I said absently, pulling a thick pair of socks on. Edward didn't say anything after that so I looked up at him curiously. He seemed… out of sorts. He looked back at me eventually, clasping his hands behind his head as he stood over me.

"Did you hook up with him this summer, too?" he asked casually.

Blushing, I nodded.

"Weird," he said softly.

"Not really. I mean, you've been around the block more than a few times," I shrugged, keeping my tone light. Never once had Edward's past conquests – or actual girlfriends – bothered me, and I wasn't going to start tripping now.

"I think you think I've been with more girls than I have," he said, shaking his head. "Anyway, you ready?"

"Yep."

My heart skipped a beat.

He waited while I grabbed my bag and I followed him out, down the hall and the stairs. I ducked my head into the living room, where my parents were watching TV.

"Going out?" Mom asked.

"Yeah," I kissed her and then my father briefly on their cheeks, hoping my face didn't look as red as it felt.

"Drive safe, Edward," my father mumbled, not taking his eyes off the screen. To them, this was like any other night, me going out with any one of my friends. And in a way, it was.

Sort of.

Why was I so nervous?

"No problem. See ya Charlie, Renee," Edward said, already headed toward the front door.

In the car, I was hyper aware of Edward's proximity, imagining I could feel the heat from his arm as it lay next to mine on the console between us. He stretched his fingers, linking them through mine. My stomach quivered.

It didn't take long for us to get to the Cullen's. Edward grinned as we walked through his front door, slipping his arm around my shoulder.

My heart started beating faster and faster and by the time we were upstairs it was racing. Edward shut the door, locking it, and kicked off his shoes.

Being with him this way had been on my mind all week, ever since we'd gotten drunk in my room and I'd let him touch me. I was excited, because my feelings for him were growing, undeniably, but I was super nervous, too. Peter-the-camp-counselor was the only guy I'd ever slept with, and I'd only done it three or four times.

"You look like you're going to the electric chair," Edward teased, tugging me by the belt loops.

"I'm fine," I said, letting him pull me over to that damned waterbed. We tumbled gracelessly on to it.

He ran his hand just under my shirt, over my belly button. "We don't have to…"

"I want to," I said quietly.

He kissed me slowly, touching his lips to mine before pushing them apart. Exploring my mouth with his tongue, he shifted so that he was on top of me, warm and perfect between my thighs.

I slipped my fingers through his hair, loving how soft it was against my hands.

"I'm taking your sweater off," he said, pulling us both into a sitting position so he could do just that. My shirt came off too, leaving me in my bra and jeans. He paused, looking at my chest, kissing it before moving to unbutton my jeans.

I watched as he took off his clothes, too, and then climbed back on top of me.

"Bella," he whispered, his eyes soft as he bit his lip. "You're really, really pretty."

"I'm already sleeping with you, you don't have to talk me into bed," I joked, shivering. I wrapped my arms around him to warm up.

"It's weird, seeing you like this," he gazed at me as he stroked his thumb down my cheek. "You're sort of perfect…"

I quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Mhm," he kissed me again, on my mouth and then my neck, sucking and licking until I was writhing beneath him. He slipped his fingers into me, making me moan, my coherence draining like an exhaled breath.

"You're so wet," he groaned, pulling his hand out. He rolled us onto our sides to unclasp my bra and then took it off, his eyes immediately going for my breasts. "Wow."

"Stop it," I giggled, his compliments making me all gooey inside. "You're silly."

"No I'm not," he laughed, scooting down and sucking a nipple into his mouth.

"Oh," I breathed, my body stiffening in pleasure. "That's…"

"Mhm," he agreed, pulling his mouth away. I took my underwear off and he flung them across the room.

"You better find those for me later," I warned. I wasn't as self conscious as I thought I'd be. Edward jumped off the bed to yank his boxers off and grab something – I guessed a condom – from his desk.

I watched him put it on, and then he got back onto his bed, which of course, rocked with his weight. I'd almost forgotten this was a waterbed…

"You said you wanted things to be normal between us," he breathed, positioning himself. "This is normal, Bella."

"I know," I said, closing my eyes. He pushed his way inside me, and he felt so good I gasped, my eyes popping open again and meeting his.

We didn't talk anymore. He moved slowly at first, getting used to the feeling and letting me get used to it, too. It had never been this way with Peter, never felt quite this good, this deep, this arousing.

Nothing fancy, nothing different. Just he and I, moving together and breathing together, quietly surprised at this level of connection. I could see it on his face; I'd never seen him so serious, so focused… on me.

Gentle waves rolled through the bed, soothing and sort of sexy; I felt like I was floating… except for the epicenter of pleasure between my legs.

Edward leaned back, wrapping my leg around his body.

"I want you to come," he said, his eyes dark.


	27. Chapter 27: Tranquil

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction

**Rating/Warning**(s): M (themes)

**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Alabaster".

I don't normally do this, but I recommend "Pieces" by Red for this. http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=x3U6BCUQqG8

_Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

**Prompts**:Tranquil

* * *

Lost in thought and unusually tranquil, I maneuvered my truck around the shadowy curves and long stretches of road comprising the drive to Edward's new house. Needless to say, it had taken me by surprise to hear from our friends the night before that _this_ was the project he'd been working hard on, for so many months. He'd always been passionate about architecture, had wanted to pursue it and join the family business since we were children, but this took things to a different level. He'd actually gotten his hands dirty, figuratively and literally.

He'd called the night before, as I was pulling the casserole I'd prepared out of the oven, asking if I was busy tonight. He let me know he'd invited his parents, Emmett and Rose, Alice and Jasper, Mike and Jessica to the house warming. He wanted me to be present, as well, and I was more than happy to oblige. This was an exciting time for him and while a tiny part of me fretted that this was him moving on, in a very concrete way and possibly without me, I was proud of him for this major accomplishment.

Funny the way humans operate. I mean, when he'd been desperate and remorseful, trying to get me back, trying to get me to listen, I couldn't be bothered. It wasn't that I was messing with his head, or playing games-trying to exact my pound of flesh-I was just… tired. Tired of thinking about what he'd done to me and what we'd become. I was tired of doubting myself, my value as a girlfriend, as "forever material".

The more he'd pulled, the more I'd resisted.

Leaving town had done a world of good, as Alice had said it would. It gave me time to think. New sights, fresh start, unfamiliar everything. It gave me a chance to mourn what I'd lost without him hovering around me, metaphorically on his knees every damn time I turned around.

And really, did I even deserve his worship? What were we? Each other's habits?

Or each other's Only One?

Since returning to Forks, he'd given me the space I'd so needed before, and it was good. It gave me a chance to ease back into my old life – only it wasn't my old life at all. It was a new life, somehow; everything had changed for Edward and me.

Not seeing him gave me the chance to miss him too, to look back on our years together with nostalgia instead of bitterness and loss. It allowed me to dream about possibilities and futures, and no matter what way I looked at it, he was a part of that for me.

The few times I did see him we connected in a fresh way... even though I could still see flickers of sorrow sometimes, flashing across his face the same way I felt them deep in my gut. Even in our pain we were connected. His contrition continued to taint the mood of most of our conversations, especially the one we'd had at the waterfall that one night. We'd talked for hours, never touching on his betrayal, but about everything else, and despite the tentativeness it was good. I wanted to hear about what was going on in his life; it gave me a renewed appreciation for his personality, for the guy I'd fallen in love with as a teenager.

And he was still so fascinated with me. It's hard to ignore that level of devotion, even when it's being purposely downplayed by the person doing the devoting.

He was doing his best to be stronger, not just for me but for himself. That appealed to me. I was sick of brokenness. It had its place once, but I needed to move past it. We spoke to each other much the way we had when we were younger, all idealistic and full of hope for the future.

Before we'd grown complacent, before we'd hurt each other so much.

I didn't want to be apart from him anymore. I had forgiven him, in my heart of hearts, although I'd never, ever forget. Trusting him still hurt a little, but I wanted so badly to do it.

I loved him.

My phone rang, and I turned down the volume on the radio before answering.

"You almost here?" Alice asked by way of greeting.

"Based on the directions Edward gave me, I think so, yeah. "

"Okay," she said, sounding like she was smiling.

We disconnected and I rounded another corner, my eyes falling on the small sign at the foot of a hidden driveway. I turned there, following the gradual incline of an overgrown road as it led me deeper into the woods. The days were slowly getting longer, and it wasn't quite twilight yet. Late afternoon sunlight dappled through the canopy of leaves overhead, creating a calm scene, serene.

Tranquil.

Edward's new house came into view. It was modestly sized, one story, a porch wrapped around it. I parked beside the cars already present and hurried to the front door, slightly bummed that I was the last one to arrive, and obviously late.

Edward answered the door with a perfect smile and I thrust the bottle of wine I'd brought nervously at him.

"Glad you could make it," he said, his green eyes illuminated gold by the sun setting behind me.

"Thanks for inviting me," I said, aware that at one time he wouldn't have had to invite me because I would've already been at his side. That saddened me a little, but before I could get sappy he ushered me inside and brought me to the kitchen, where everyone else was hanging out.

"We've been waiting for you so we could have the grand tour, _Bella_," Emmett said pointedly, his eyes crinkling as he tugged me close for a hug.

"Sorry!" I said, rolling my eyes. Releasing Em, I did the rounds, greeting everyone with hugs and hellos. Edward was uncorking the bottle of wine I'd given him, and he held an arm out to give me a quick hug.

He stilled smelled the same, like sandalwood and musk and detergent and guy, and my stomach ached in acknowledgement.

There wasn't much furniture yet; Edward had ordered some for the dining and living rooms but he was sleeping on his futon in the bedroom. He said he hadn't been able to find any sets that suited him just yet. The back of the house was lovely, complete with lots of windows so that the trees outback were easily seen.

It was one of the best evenings I'd had in a while. The wine was great, the conversation even better, and before I knew it Rose was saying her goodbyes, explaining she had an open house the next day she had to be ready for. That set things in motion, and two by two our friends left, leaving me with Edward. He shut the door behind his parents, who shot him a knowing glance they didn't know I'd seen. I wasn't stupid; I knew everyone wanted us back together.

Fidgeting awkwardly, I stared at the wall beside Edward's head. "So, I guess…I should go maybe? Soon?"

"Can you stay a little longer?" he asked, walking by me on his way to the kitchen. He was barefoot, and that struck me as cute.

"I could," I agreed, nodding.

"Good, because I had something to talk to you about," he nodded toward the living room and, seemingly as an afterthought, held out his hand. "Come with me?"

I hesitated, not because there was anywhere else I wanted to be, but because the love in his eyes made my heart beat funny.

Letting him take my hand, I nodded.


	28. Chapter 28: When in Rome

**Penname**: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction

**Rating/Warning(s): M** (themes)

**Notes**: continues the characters and scenario established by "Finger Food"

sorry this is late; i've been working over time to get chapter 22 of Volition finished (it will be posted within the hour). This is yesterday's prompt; if I have time I'll do today's prompt as well. Much love!! i love reading your reviews about each of these storylines! xoxoxo

**Disclaimer**: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

**Prompts:**"When in Rome..."

* * *

I'd managed to get Bella out of the Volturi's castle without trouble. The few guards that did see me assumed I was simply making off with my meal, sparing me little more than an indifferent glance. It was difficult to keep Bella quiet; she was in the throes of her transformation as I sped across the darkened countryside cradling her in my arms. Her heart beat, thundering within her fragile ribcage, sped up, its frenzied cadence echoing in my head.

My main concern at this point was Carlisle. He was the practical one, the wise patriarch of the family putting up with the whims and indulgences of his three sons. Emmett, Jasper and I were the impulsive ones, and I especially tended to act first and think later. Jasper had joined us years before, and Carlisle had changed his wife Esme, Emmett and I way before that. None of us had ever brought anyone into our way of life.

I cringed thinking how they would react.

Bella squirmed in my grasp, making it difficult for me to hold onto her. If I held on any tighter I ran the risk of bruising her, or breaking her arms, and though she would heal upon becoming a vampire, it was unnecessary. I shifted her impatiently; I could appreciate she was in pain, but even at the speed at which I was traveling we had a ways to go.

Carlisle always elected to stay in Rome. We associated with the Volturi when we absolutely had to, but it wasn't something we looked forward to. We owned a luxury apartment in the center of the city, and that is where we stayed whenever we were invited by the Volturi to attend an event. Over the years there had many galas and parties, as well as meetings; as one of the larger covens living successfully as a family, we were often included in the decisions that affected the vampire world.

Still, we stayed as far from them as possible while in Italy. Our place in Rome was immaculate thanks to Esme's eye for aesthetics. As I approached the city limits, I slowed, trying to seek out the minds of those closest to me. It was important I blend in, something that wouldn't be easy with Bella writhing and carrying on and groaning. People would probably think I was killing her – which wasn't too off the mark – but still. Evading the Italian authorities was the last thing I felt like doing at this point.

For once having a residence in a trendy part of town was unappealing. I turned Bella around so that she was sagging against me, one of my arms tucked tightly around her middle. She whimpered, digging her nails into my arm; I could feel her short, red nails through the fabric of my dress shirt. It would have hurt like a bitch had I been human…

I faltered, spotting an obviously drunken twosome staggering up the street. The male had his arm around the female, in much the same way I was supporting Bella. The woman stumbled, pushing away from her partner to vomit into a planter before wiping her mouth and allowing him to help her as they continued. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the spectacle, but brightened, seeing a solution to my issue.

The male nodded when he saw me, rolling his eyes at his girlfriend and then at Bella. I smirked in acknowledgment; we were just two guys, late at night, with wasted dates.

"Buonasera," I murmured as we passed each other.

"Buonasera," he echoed.

"Ah, Bella," I sighed as she twitched violently beneath my arm. "When in Rome…"


	29. Chapter 29: Drugged

continues scenario and characters established in "Finger Food".

Rated M (themes)

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Prompts: "**Scenario**: How do you feel? The drug is wearing off and soon you'll be able to remember…"

* * *

I moaned, feeling the intense burning that had been torturing me from head to toe for the past few - hours? days? weeks? – shrink to the area directly surrounding my racing heart. It sped faster and faster, like an out-of-control merry-go-round, making me terribly nervous. Something was wrong…really wrong.

_This is it…I'm finally going to die. My heart…_

But I didn't die.

My eyes drifted open languidly and I blinked, able to focus right away but unsure of what I was focusing on.

"How do you feel? The drug is wearing off and soon you'll be able to remember."

That voice… Edward?

Where the hell was I?

"Bella," Edward said, sounding anxious. That struck me as strange, because the last time he spoken to me he was anything but anxious. He'd been confident, and sexy and almost even predatory.

No, not almost.

He _was_ predatory, and like the anomaly I was, I begged him to take me instead of release me.

"Bella!" he snapped, sounding pissed now.

My eyes found his, and my heart skipped a beat…sort of. Instinctively I realized it was a phantom heart… my own heart had stopped beating seconds before I'd opened my eyes.

"Yes," I said uncertainly, irritated by the brightness of the lights. They were unnecessary; I could see just fine. In fact, my sight had never been better – even the dust particles in the air and the individual strands of hair on Edward's perfect head were crystal clear, vivid and in Technicolor.

Edward seemed relieved. "How do you-"

"What drugs? And why the hell am I tied up?!" I snarled, my previous enchantment at the prettiness of everything abruptly turning to anger. Glaring at Edward, I squirmed in my chair, twisting my body to and fro. "Edward!"

"You do remember me," he said, suddenly serene.

_This guy is such a weirdo. This is what I came to Italy for? Good grief._

"Of course I remember you - we – I mean… we had sex! Together! And you bit me!" I shrieked, aware that I was become hysterical but unsure of how to stop it.

Another extremely handsome man stepped out, blonde, strapping, towering over me. His muscles practically rippled beneath his thin white tee shirt and I wasn't sure if I found it appealing or ridiculous.

"Edward, stop playing games and just tell her what's up. You're being a prick, dude," he said, frowning in disapproval.

Before I could say anything he disappeared again, leaving me alone with Count Casanova.

Edward and I stared at one another for a few seconds, our eyes flickering all over each other's faces.

"I'm Edward Cullen; that was my brother Emmett. I have another brother, Jasper, but he and my father have gone home already. They-"

"Home?" I interrupted, confused. Where were we right now? Italy?

Edward stared at me, looking bewildered.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I groaned in exasperation. "Why won't you just tell me what's going on?"

He shook his head quickly, as if he was getting a grip. "Okay. Look, my family and I…we're vampires, but I think you know that," he said, glancing up at me from under his eyelashes.

My stomach did a little flip-flop because _wow_ he was a looker…

"Your scent appealed to me and I wanted you- in several ways. You wanted me too," he said, a little arrogantly.

I nodded, because that was true.

"I would have killed you, but you asked me to make you like me. No one's ever, ever said that to me before," he said.

"So you did. Make me like you, I mean," I concluded.

"Yeah."

"Why am I tied up?" I asked, trying again to move around.

Edward rose to his feet and deftly snapped each of the ropes tying me down with his hands. "Because you were uncontrollable otherwise. You've been difficult to deal with."

"How long have I been here?" I asked, rubbing my forearms and wrists. I realized after a minute that was pointless, because in I felt no pain from where my restraints had been.

"Three days," he responded, pulling me to my feet.

"Three days?" I whispered, alarmed. "But…"

"You're sort of stuck with me now, hope you don't mind," he said. His flippant attitude was a bit too cavalier for my liking and I found myself bristling.

"You never answered my question about the drug. You said when I woke up just now the drug was wearing off," I said.

"Venom. It's spread completely throughout your system now, so the painful effects have worn off."

I sat quietly, trying to absorb this information.

"Thirsty yet?" he smirked.

"So, what, we drink people's blood? How am I supposed to live like you?" I cried, my hands clenching into fists.

"Hey, you asked for this," he reminded me, looking annoyed. "You practically begged me for it."

"But, but, you – you targeted me. There. At the party," I sputtered, knowing that too was a lie. Maybe he had targeted me, but I'd sure targeted him, having fantasized over him for over a year and then pursued him.

Edward just gazed at me, seemingly unbothered by my accusations.

"But why would you want to kill me?" I asked, sinking back onto the chair.

He had the decency to look contrite. "I didn't want to kill you Bella. Your scent was just too strong and too alluring…it was more like I had to kill you, had to taste your blood."

What had I gotten myself into? This whole thing felt like one long, bizarre dream.

"But why me? Out of all those people?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I really don't know. Even now I find myself drawn to you."

I felt like I was blushing. Peeking up at him, I caught the tail end of a smug smile and that just irritated me all over again. Time for a topic change.

"You said your father and your brother went home? Do you guys live in Italy?"

He shook his head."We live in the U.S., in a little town outside Seattle."

"Seattle, Washington? You love in Washington?" I repeated, shocked.

"Yeah…" he said, looking at me strangely.

"I'm from Forks," I said quietly.

It was Edward's turn to look surprised. "No kidding. Well, that might complicate things."

"Why?"

"Bella, you can't really be around people for awhile – you're much too emotional and volatile"

"What do you mean?" I asked, sensing he was right. I could feel myself getting enraged just by his comment, despite the fact that it was true.

"You're a newborn –all of your passions and appetites are fresh and will be difficult to control for a while. There are certain ways to do things, and going on a blood thirsty rampage throughout the neighboring cities and towns just won't do. Our way of live thrives on secrecy. We're going to have to keep you far away from everyone, especially people you know. Could be weeks, could be years."

"So…I'll want to kill people," I said numbly.

He chuckled darkly. "Basically."


	30. Chapter 30: Beagle

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction

**Rating/Warning(s): M **

Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Oceanic"

_Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

Prompts: Beagle, grass, steering wheel, boat

* * *

"Make me," I breathed back, my voice sort of shaky and betraying the stutter of my heart.

Edward smirked, obviously thrilled with the challenge. "Oh, I can make you come, probably more than once."

"Mm, there's the Edward I know," I said, groaning halfway through as he stopped what he was doing and disappeared underneath the comforter. His wet mouth found my secret spot and I squealed, giggling and squirming under his hands and face.

"Hold still," he commanded, his voice muffled.

It tickled at first, because I was so sensitive but arousal won out and within seconds my eyes fluttered shut.

He licked one way, then the other, teasing me but also bringing me closer. I dug my fingers into his hair, feeling the quivers as my body hurtled toward an orgasm.

No sooner had he reached his goal he shot up and plunged into me, taking advantage of the fact I was wet and weak and completely his right then. I wrapped my arms and legs around him, kissing his neck.

I probably wouldn't admit it to him, but he certainly knew what he was doing…

Afterwards, we lay curled on our sides and facing one another, under the covers, hidden from the world. I'd expected to maybe feel awkward because we'd so irrevocably changed the dynamic of our relationship, but I didn't. Like Alice had said earlier, being physically intimate with Edward felt like a natural step.

Edward grinned, his hands still running over my stomach, poking my belly button playfully.

"Quit it," I chuckled, pushing his hand away.

"You wanna do it again?" he asked, inching his way over.

"Whatever floats your boat," I shrugged, letting him wiggle his way into my arms.

Several romps and a shower later, we went down to the kitchen to find something to eat. The Cullen's ancient pet beagle, Aro, shuffled into the kitchen, pausing to sniff me before moving onto Edward. He watched pitifully as Edward made sandwiches for himself and me.

"Aw, give him some," I said, scratching Aro behind his ears. Edward tossed him a cold cut, which he practically inhaled, before putting the meat back into the fridge.

"Do you want to go out?" I asked around a mouthful of tuna.

"Okay," Edward shrugged, shoving a too-big chunk of food into his mouth.

"Guess we're not doing anything later," I snorted, polishing off my glass of juice.

"What do you mean?" he frowned.

"Tunabreath?"

"I have gum," he assured me, winking.

The thing I loved most about this new development with Edward was the matter of fact nature of our conversations. He turned my insides to mush and made my stomach flip-flop with anticipation, but I also knew him the like the back of my own hand. This dichotomy of familiarity and nerves was going to take getting used to, but if he was down then so was I.

His cell phone rang. He peered at the glowing screen before answering. "'Sup, Emmett."

He grinned at something Em said. "Naw, she's here….in a while….no….okay, later."

"What did he say?" I pressed, wanting to go to him and…I don't know…cuddle? But I stayed still.

"Wanted to know if we were coming out," he replied.

"Where are they?"

"Emmett's parents are out of town, so they're kickin' it by the pool."

"Ok," I nodded. This would be the first time Edward and I went somewhere _together_-together; I wondered how we'd be received. Maybe no one would even notice.

In the car, Edward kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other on my knee. Now that we'd admit to each other how we felt, the bickering had been replaced by sly glances. I laughed quietly, shaking my head.

"What?" he asked, smiling also.

"It's just… funny. This. It's so…"

"Random."

"Yeah," I nodded, laying my hand over his.

"But you're okay with it?" he asked, turning to me as we pulled up to a stoplight.

"I am if you are."

The light turned green. "I am."

There were a lot more cars parked in Emmett's driveway than I'd expected. I shouldn't have been surprised; in high school, news of a parent-less house travels fast. Instead of going in the front door, we crossed the lawn to the backyard, following the worn foot path though the grass.

I hesitated at Edward's side, unsure of how to handle myself. Part of me wanted to stay beside him; the other felt it would be best to go find the girls. Alice decided for me, catching my eye from across the patio and motioning for me to come over.

Edward was looking at me when I glanced at him. "I'm gonna grab a beer from Em. Want anything?"

"I'll have what you have."

I passed Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley standing by the grill, red cups in their hands. Jessica shot me a sweet smile, but Lauren rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"I frigging knew it," she sighed.


	31. Chapter 31: Sparkling Champagne

Penname: Rochelle Allison  
Derivative Fiction  
Rating/Warning(s): M  
Notes: continues the characters and scenario established by "Alabaster"  
Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
Prompts: Sparkling Champagne

* * *

Edward led me over to the couch in his living room, which overlooked the forest beyond. He'd built his new home on the side of a hill, so that while the front was on firm ground, the back was supported by stilts. It was a lovely design; he'd obviously enlisted the help and expertise of some of the best architects, contractors and builders in his sphere of influence.

The house wasn't huge but it was beautiful. He'd paid so much attention to detail…the little window above the kitchen sink overlooked a little garden, complete with a pond. He said as time went on he wanted to expand on the idea, adding another pond with fish in it. Each room was a slightly different color, creams and whites and ivories, all playing nicely against the various types of wood used on the inside of the house.

The house was peaceful, albeit a little stark and empty; he needed to finish decorating.

I tucked my bare feet up under me and angled my body toward Edward, who was sitting very similarly.

He sipped at his wine, tugging anxiously at his hair. The sun had pretty much gone down now, and only a small wash of color was visible over the tree line outside.

"Um, do you want to turn a light on?" I asked, leaning over to place my wine glass on the floor.

"Oh, yeah," he jumped up, flicking two lamps on.

He seemed nervous, and I could see that getting him to talk might be like pulling teeth so I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. "So, what's up?"

"I, um… so, do you like the house?"

Nodding enthusiastically, I reached forward to clasp his hand. "It is beautiful. I'm so impressed, Edward. So happy for you."

He stared down at our hands, and I realized that I'd acted on instinct, not really thinking before I'd touched him. I began to pull away, but he grabbed my hand, squeezing gently.

It occurred to me something was going on here, and I wasn't sure what to say. Despite the slight chill in the air, I felt very warm all over, almost flushed.

"Bella," he said, his voice so quiet I had to incline my head to hear.

"Yes?"

He squeezed my hand again. "Can you see yourself with me, ever again?"

It had been awhile since we'd broached this topic, and since he'd been this direct. I paused, chewing the inside of my cheek.

He looked up at me, vulnerable and a little sad.

"I can," I said eventually, exhaling.

He nodded slowly, letting go of me, and stood up. "Come," he said nodding his head toward the bedrooms he'd shown us all earlier.

Trusting he wouldn't do anything untoward, I rose and followed him. We went into the bedroom and straight to the attached bathroom, where he flipped on the light switch.

We'd only seen the bathroom in passing earlier, Edward hurrying the group through the tour because he said he'd had other, more interesting things to show us. Now he brought me inside and pointed at the counter.

Glancing at the sinks, I tried to see what he wanted me to see. Our eyes met in the mirror.

"I don't get it," I admitted, sliding my hands into my back pockets.

"They're his and hers sinks," he said simply.

I froze, staring at the sinks. Edward turned the light off and we walked silently back to the couch. Picking up my half full wine glass, I drained the remainder of the Riesling as I sat. If he was saying what I thought he was saying, I wasn't sure how to respond.

"I built it for you."

Tears sprang to my eyes and I covered my face with my hands. "Why?" I gasped.

"Because I love you, Bella," his voice broke. "And I can't lose you."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. We gazed at each other, both of our faces red and splotchy and wet with tears. He slipped off of the couch and knelt in front of me.

"Will you marry me Bella? Will you stay with me?"

I sniffled, taking his hands into mine. "Yes." Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm really scared, Edward," I whispered. "Please, don't hurt me."

"I won't, " he said, burying his face in my neck. "I love you."

We held one another for a few moments, and then he held my cheeks between his hands. He kissed me softly on my lips, the first time we'd kissed in so, so long.

My phone rang from my purse in the foyer, but I ignored it.

Then his rang. Sighing, he retrieved it from between the couch cushions. "Hello?"

A smile touched his lips, and he gazed affectionately at me, thumbing tears away from my cheek.

"Yeah, Alice. I'll be popping open the sparkling champagne."

We had work to do, but...I was willing.


End file.
